Killing Me softly
by MasterChick
Summary: Homicide Detective Gajeel Redfox is working on a new case that involves working with a newly promoted robbery Detective Levy McGarden, solving a murder of an art gallery courater, and a stolen set of priceless artifacts. It was just like any other case, however uncovering the deeper truth of it would put their lives and the people they love in jeopardy. Detective/Crime AU. Gajevy.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Something new! Actually, I wrote this in November 2014 for NaNoWriMo, so it's not really new. anyways, I'll talk more in the next chapter's author note. I hope you guys like my new and long awaited Detective/Crime AU featuring our favorite pair, Gajeel and Levy. **

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Prologue

Help was a lost cause.

All her life she never had convenient or offered help from anybody. She had to do things her own way, and that was how she learned growing up in the unfortunate part of Magnolia. Levy always took care of herself, always watched her own skin. Running through the empty streets was nothing new, though it brought back haunting sense of nostalgia that Levy didn't want to remember. Her footsteps were loud against the piddle patter of the heavy rain, splashing her sock clad feet into the deep puddles. It masked the roughness of her breathing, desperately running through her limits, pushing her body towards salvation.

If she could find it.

"Where the fuck did that shit go?" Levy heard the echoing voices trailing behind her.

"Shit!" She breathed quickly, thinking about Jet and Droy and how she left them behind while she fled. Her heart ached, recalling Jet's desperate look for her to run and get help. As much as she wanted to go back, Levy knew she couldn't stand a chance.

"Found him!" A voice caught her ear, urging her to go faster. Levy could hear three snickering voices and their quick footsteps closing in on her.

Levy looked frantically around for some place to hide. Some place public with people. Where she could seek refuge. None of the businesses were open this late and most of the big buildings were closed.

She locked her trembling knees and slid through the puddle, grabbing the slick lamp post at the corner, where she turned on the intersection and continued her escape. The court house greeted her, pillars and concrete steps raised the majestic subraised pediment. It stood out like a beacon, though Levy sullied her hope when the voices and footsteps were coming closer.

"There is nowhere to go!" One of the three voices roared in laughter.

Levy skipped each step gracefully as she climbed the pantheon towards the granite Corinthian columns. A silhouette appeared within the dark depths, behind the pillars. The rain eased once she approached the still figure, standing high and dry on her own pedestal. Levy reacted, her mind clear once she sheltered herself, and she moved towards the statue. She climbed the figure, finding some sort of crevasse between the wall and iron woman. She moved quickly, but all hope was eradicated when a wet hand encircled her ankle.

"Got you, you little shit!" A low voice laughed, yanking her ankle and soon grabbed her arm and threw her on the concrete floor.

"Oh shit!" One of the three shouted. "She's a chick!"

"What do we do?" The other asked the first guy. Levy couldn't make out the faces, only that they were wearing their uniforms without their vests.

"What are you guys doing?" The third man approached them, taller than the rest. His voice boomed, startling the other two as they jumped.

"Gajeel," One of the men said. "She's a girl."

"So?" The man named Gajeel spat. "We've hazed women before. They're to be treated like the damn rest."

"She's just a kid." The other man added.

"Then, I'll do it you useless shits." Gajeel hissed, boots stomping on the concrete towards her. Levy crawled away from him, only to be dragged again by the ankle, and threw her against the foot of the pedestal. She winced from the pain shooting through her legs.

"Stop!" Levy reacted by swinging her fist at the man holding her, trying to break free from his iron grip. The only thing she felt was her fist skimming his short damp hair.

"Oh!" Gajeel snickered, grabbing her slick wrists, and pulling painfully until her joints popped. "Yer have some fight in you! If you wanna fight! I'll give you a—"

Before he could finish, Gajeel's eyes adjusted to the darkness, finally seeing their hazing victim. Unlike the two others back at the recruiting barracks, the woman in his grasp was small, almost fragile. The little light that was provided showed the light blue hair, damp and clung to her frightened face. Her hazel eyes popped against her bright hair.

"Get your hands off me!" Levy shouted, tugging at her arm. She didn't seem like a recruit. This woman looked more like she belonged in high school. And what made Gajeel pause from his pursuit was that she wasn't much older than his little sister.

"I said," Levy shouted again. "Let go of me!" In Gajeel's moment of hesitation, Levy pulled her arm free and swung her fist across his jaw.

"Gajeel!" His two friends yelled, ready to step in and grab her.

"Enough," Gajeel growled, rubbing his jaw. "Just leave her here."

"I don't remember that being part of the plan." A new voice appeared from the shadows. Levy turned her head towards the incoming shadows.

"Sergeant Jose." One of the men said, saluting to their superior officer.

"From my stack of recruiting papers, Levy McGarden is a first year recruit. Just like the others." Sergeant Jose said to them.

"She had enough." Gajeel stood straight, unbothered by his commanding officer's presence.

"I'll say when she had enough." Sergeant Jose hissed. "You two! Go get the other two in the alley and bring them here."

"Yes, Sir!" They both shouted and left, leaving Gajeel and Levy with the Sergeant.

"Gajeel," The sharp nose man loomed over Levy. She scooted as close to the pedestal as she could. Jose's eyes hungrily wondered over her body. "Do your worse."

"No…" Levy muttered, voice shaking.

"If you want to earn a place in my department, I suggest you do as I say." He snickered, and turn towards the black haired man. Levy's trembling gaze studied the sturdiness of his back, unmoved like a statue. The cold rain didn't bother him, the crack of the thunder didn't faze him.

"Yes, sir." His voice was calm and stern. Robotic even. Jose nodded his head towards Levy, which she stiffens from the wicked grin across his angular face. Gajeel turned around, lightning seared through the night sky. Levy could finally see his face. His blazing red eyes were cold and sharp like the metal piercings prominent on his chiseled face. It was like as if he was a robot, only to do as he was ordered to do.

"Welcome to my task force," The long nosed man snickered, watching his disciple turn around to face Levy. "Gajeel Redfox."

Everything seemed to be at a standstill. When Levy joined the academy, she would never thought of going through this. Only rumors spread through the barracks as she read quietly to herself. She would never believe she was living this nightmare. Though, she didn't want to enter the academy in the first place.

Survive.

Levy's nerves were shot, and her eyes grew still as Gajeel took a step closer towards her. The whimpers from her cries grew dry in her throat, and her breathing steadied. If one thing Levy knew all her life was to calm herself, and survive.

"Do what you have to do." Levy said to Gajeel. She watched the slight hesitation in his ruby eyes, though his body didn't waiver. And like his body, her eyes didn't leave his.

The next day, Levy was found tied to one of the columns at the courthouse along with her friends Jet and Droy. She was strung up like a punished slave, and her only crime was to become a cop.

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**Killing Me Softly**

**A Fairy Tail Fanfiction**

**Written by: Lexi V. aka Kissed By Iron **

**Fairy Tail By: Mashima Hiro**

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Chapter One: Eve of the Beholder

Seven years later. September of 2015.

He hated court days.

The itchy starch pressed shirts against his skin, loosen charcoal gray tie tucked under his collar, and the stifling fitted suit jacket clung uncomfortably on his muscular body. He felt out of place, though he was perfectly camouflaged in the sea of finely dressed. Not all were nicely dressed, as for some who were clad in orange and decorated in shiny metal chains. They even had an escort service of stern men like Gajeel in their uniform blues guiding them into a secret hallway. Only a few times Gajeel ever walked down that special VIP hallway, and he never cared to go back there. His place was at the back of the courtroom.

And to visit her.

It never saw Gajeel before. He had a feeling that she knew he was there, staring at the blinded woman towering before him. The fearful sword raised above her sphere shaped head, curls perfectly sculpted at the very top. Her other hand held a set of perfectly balanced scales, slowly creaking from the iron chains as the natural breeze of the crowd whipping by. Her wrought iron robe that cloaked her was the same as her skin, tough and cold with an emotionless face. Most criminals who are brought to her feet tremble in fear knowing that even blinded she held their fate through their actions. Lawyers, Judges, police officers and innocents would call her an angel of the victims.

To Gajeel, she was prominent in his godforsaken life as a haunting guardian angel looming over his shoulder. Like angels, he saw many variations of Lady Justice; small or big, in paintings or as statues, praised and often times ridiculed. Having the symbolic blindfold cover her eyes, he could see some of the guilty criminals stick their putrid tongues out at her. Sadly enough, some who defend her would do treacherous things behind her robe clad back. Sickening tasks to beat around the system, and it disgusted Gajeel. Though, he wasn't a saint to begin with either.

"Excuse me?" Gajeel pulled his eyes away from the blinded woman and looked down to see a woman with medium length black hair, red thin framed glasses and a slimmed tight black dress with a bright red glass marble necklace around her slender neck. "I'm sorry to bother you, but you remind me of a character from a book." Gajeel looked further down to see her clenching a hardcover book against her chest. He recognized the image of the blond woman at the back cover, only to see her brown eyes peeking over the arm of the stranger.

"That the book?" Gajeel removed his hands from his suit pocket and pointed at it. She looked down and turned the book over to reveal the cover. A Magnolia Metro Police Department badge, dripping in dark red blood in the background, a pair of serious scarlet eyes appearing darker than the blood just under the badge, and bold metallic letters graced over the shield with its chilling title.

"_Iron Shield_?" She smiled, blushing slightly. Gajeel's eyes flickered back to the cover to see the familiar name written in the same silver lettering. "Yep! The main character likes to stare at the woman holding the scales…he has long black hair just like you…" she took a step closer to get a better look at his face. "…red eyes like yours." Gajeel was taken aback by her forwardness. "Wait!" The stranger flipped pass the copyright page and paused at the partially blank page. "Are you—?"

"No," Gajeel answered immediately, knowing the one page she turned to reveal his identity.

"Gajeel!" He rolled his eyes and sighed frustratingly when the annoying shrill of the voice echoing down one of the hallways. Her heels with her usual walking paced clicked louder and louder as she made her way towards the courthouse lobby. "Sergeant, we gotta head in before all the seats are taken. Evergreen said the family would like us to sit by them." Her large brown eyes looked over to see the stranger standing next to Gajeel, and she glanced up to see him blaring his red eyes back at her.

"You are Gajeel Redfox!" The woman pointed at the dedication page.

"Let's go, detective." Gajeel didn't turn back at the stranger and grabbed his co-worker's arm, dragging her back down the hallway in which she came.

"Who's that?" She asked, looking back and she winced when Gajeel squeezed her bicep. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"A fucking fan." Gajeel hissed. "I swear. I am going to kill bunny girl for writing my name in the dedication page."

"Ha," She laughed. "You like the attention." Cana Alberona was one of the new detectives at Magnolia City Police Department precinct fourteen's homicide division. She transferred from Robbery at the seven about two months ago. "And she's cute, Sarge."

"Not interested."

"Oh c'mon!" She nudged her arm from his grasp. "You need to find a girl that'll drag your ass out of your work."

"Cana," Gajeel sighed. "I said, I'm not interested. Especially a book worm like her."

"You, LT and the Cap, I tell ya." Cana shook her head. She followed in step with Gajeel, marching down the main hall to the main courtroom at the very end of it. "Workaholics."

"Enough."

"I mean, I know the department has the highest closure rating—"

"That's an order, detective." Gajeel side glanced her in his authoritative tone. He met her eyes and she backed off, lifting her hands in surrender.

"Yes, sergeant." He saw Cana roll her eyes, but didn't dare to say anything back. She had a mouth that would have a nun wanting to furiously scrub soap into her flapping lips. Aside from her foul cop mouth and tough guy attitude, Detective Alberona was one of the brightest upcoming detectives in the whole department.

After making their way through the double doors of the courtroom, Cana led them to the right side of the large room on the plaintiff side, where the public prosecutor found them in the crowd. She pushed at the edge of her thin wire frames along the bridge of her nose and her bright red lipstick stuck out from her light brown hair and dark chocolate eyes. Her eyes were stone serious, but the small bright curve of her ruby lips said something entirely. It screamed confidence.

"About time you showed up!" Assistant District Attorney Evergreen scolded with her manicured hands matching her lips rested on her wide hips. "Where is Elfman? He better be in the back."

"Oh he is," Cana grinned. "Juvia is also there."

"Good!" She straighten up and pushed her already secure glasses at the thinnest part of her nose. "I want this trial to go beautifully. We're going to send this guy away for life."

"You better." Gajeel crossed his arms and scanned the room before returning it to Evergreen. "Don't mess up."

"Heh," Evergreen hummed offended by his doubtfulness. "Who do you take me for? As long as you do your job, you only get absolute perfection from me."

"Jeez," Gajeel clicked his tongue. "Just win it for them." His thumb motioned to his left where a grieving family sitting tightly together, anxiously praying and waiting for the final hearing day. A father of three sitting between his daughter and two sons, dressed in the finest they could afford to see the man that killed their mother was brought to justice.

"Leave it to me." She smiled and nodding in her confident way.

The case went as planned.

The last day of the hearing was all about the case leading up to the murder's arrest. Detective Elfman Strauss was the first on scene and lead investigator of the case. Gajeel could hear Cana giggling to herself when Evergreen questioned the detective. From what Gajeel saw, it was a prosecutor interviewing a police officer about a murder trial. Elfman sat straight in his extra large gray suit and green striped tie, cramped in the tiny elevated witness stand. Cana saw the outlandish bickering of a secret couple at each other's faces, arguing over the most ridiculous things. For some reason, their professionalism in the courtroom humored her.

Gajeel ignored her, and ignored most of the trial. It wasn't that he was bored. His ignorance was his own way of showing confidence. Gajeel wouldn't undermine Evergreen's abilities. She did what he could not, bring forth the truth to the Angel of Justice. The angel wasn't the judge that sat in his specified box. Lady Justice appeared in a painting behind the judge. She was out of place in the fake mahogany wood courtroom, where even the walls were plated with it. The painting was softly painted in soft strokes, using pastels and feminine features to give the majestic woman to smite the guilty in her elegant soft white robe and delicate porcelain skin.

"All rise." The jury returned from recess and the judge joined the room shortly after. "Does the Jury have the verdict?" She turned in her swivel chair and faced the jury. A wooden section with two rows of occupied chairs was seated at the far right side of the courtroom, just beside the witness stand. A woman at the very end rose from her seat and unfolded the paper that was tightly clasped in her clammy hands.

"The jury has found Octavius Carl…"

While everyone was looking at the jury speaker, Gajeel's eyes wondered to the defendant, wearing his traffic cone orange jump suit and standing from his rickety wooden seat with hands bound in front of him. For about a month, Gajeel and Elfman were hunting him down. Three women were killed because of him. Three women who worked in the same construction company as accountants were tortured and murdered one by one as he pried information about their employer. The last victim suffered because Gajeel didn't make it in time. If only he caught on the pattern of the financial transactions the women had to access to prior to their kidnapping, there would have been one less victim to lay to rest.

The soon-to-be convicted man stood straight with his lawyer beside him and two cops on his other side. His clean shaven face didn't show emotion. He had an eerie calm in the way he stood. The man remained still, composed, and his butt chin was held high. Proud at what he had done.

"…guilty." The woman in the Juror's box said firmly, causing the crowd to cheer around Gajeel. He felt a nudge from Cana's elbow into his side, but he didn't budge. For some reason, Gajeel didn't see a change in the now convicted felon's demeanor. He remained the same, completely still.

"Octavius Carl." The judged slammed the mallet for the courtroom to quiet down. The entire time, Gajeel was staring at the villain. Where he should be looking at the cops sitting behind him.

"They're not wearing the right uniforms." Gajeel muttered.

"What?" Cana leaned in. He ignored her and his eyes span beyond the defendant. Why hadn't he seen them before? Just behind the defendant were five police officers in their patrol uniforms and vests sitting straight in their chairs. Police officers that are not on duty are supposed to where casuals during trails.

"Cana," Gajeel leaned in. "Are those the uniforms from Vice?" She looked over to the line of cops. The former vice police officer had a confused look on her face. Large brown eyes narrowed at the uniformed clad men.

"No," Cana shook her head. "Aren't those the uniforms from county?" There it was. The all too familiar feeling in his gut that something was completely wrong.

"You are found guilty in murder of the first degree and—"

"County is gray. They're wearing blue…" Gajeel tighten, ready to stand up—

"Now!" The convicted felon roared and the line of officers followed his signal.

Everything around him went by too fast.

Gajeel shouted everyone to get down, pushing Cana to the floor and behind him. A loud pop vibrated in the air and a flash of light sputtered in the direction of the defendant. His ears rung loudly, muffling the sounds of screaming. His vision blurred only to see people struggling on the floor. Apart from being impaired, his body reacted. Gajeel grabbed hold of the wooden railing that separated the audience from the courtroom stage, and pulled himself as his other hand reached for his gun holstered at his hip. A shot was fired and another roar of screams followed. Gajeel pointed his gun towards the back door leading to the holding area. There he saw the five cops leading the convict through that door.

"Cana," He bent down at the young detective still in a shock stupor from the flash grenades. "Stay here." Gajeel stood up, finally regaining his vision.

"Dad…" Gajeel looked over to the family of the victims. The father of three laid limp over his kids, two holes oozing blood appeared on his cheap black suit. "Dad!" The girl shouted as the two boys cried.

"Cana, call an ambulance!" Gajeel yelled. He didn't wait for her to say anything. The next thing he saw was Elfman on the floor holding Evergreen in his bulk arms. She was swearing up a storm, clenching on her right shoulder.

"Elfman," Gajeel leapt over the railing and knocked over the table. "Control the courtroom. Call paramedics!" Juvia scrambled to her feet and met the eyes of Gajeel.

"Call Deputy Chief and the Captain!" Juvia shouted, shaking her head from shock, and blinking her eyes to flutter the white dots from her vision. "Cana! Now!"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Juvia," Gajeel didn't need to explain. He started to run with his gun up towards the back room. "Their heading to the back room."

"Juvia knows," Juvia's stance was wobbly, but she stood her ground. She reached for her Glock and pulled it out in front of her. "Juvia will stay at your six and we'll split in front of the Juror's room."

"You take the judge's corridor and I'll take the main hall." Gajeel said. "Let's go."

With Juvia behind him, Gajeel marched down the narrow hallway at the very back of the courtroom. He never thought he would ever return to the VIP hallway. At least not like this. He could hear Juvia shout something incoherent, but couldn't make it out with the slight hearing loss in his left ear, like he was underwater. Whatever it was, Gajeel hoped it wasn't important. They reached the three way intersection, plastic plaque in front of them pointed out which way leads to where. Gajeel turned to the right and pointed his gun down the long corridor, glancing back to see Juvia covering the other.

"Eyes sharp," Juvia said before she marched onward in her respective hallway. "Be careful."

"Likewise," Gajeel moved forward down the hall, hearing the muffled clicks of Juvia's heels fading farther away as he moved down the hall. He cursed to himself about his hearing. Five officers and the murderer frantically moving down the narrow hallway, it was impossible to not make a ruckus in a building full of cops. Then again, they managed to escape the main courtroom with ease.

"Who the fuck are you?" He gritted his teeth and turned the corner. There, he saw the door leading to the public where one of the fake cops slipped through the threshold before the door came to a closing shut. "Hey!" Gajeel shouted and sprinted as fast as he could with his gun still in hand. Gun fire erupted and the inevitable screams from the lobby followed. The gun in his hand returned in front of him as he kicked open the door, quickly scanning his surroundings before moving further out of the corridor. People in the lobby and hallways were on the ground, faces tight against the marble floor and their hands over the heads.

"Where did they go?" Gajeel shouted to one of the civilians on the ground.

"They went that way!" Her voice shook, but she told him what he needed to know, pointing down hallway C

"Thanks," Gajeel made his way down hallway C and just as he turned the corner, a door busted open. Juvia came out of it turning herself towards Gajeel and pointed her gun at him. He didn't faze from the caution and he kept up with his trek with Juvia running beside him.

"Did you see them?" Juvia asked, breathing heavily.

"Saw them leaving the back hall and someone said they were heading this way." Gajeel huffed, speeding up his pace. They turned the corner, his black boots squeaking beneath him and Juvia's thin heels stomp against the marble. It was the final stretch, watching the six individuals busting through the back door. One of the cops stopped at the glass threshold and drew his gun at them.

"Gun!" Gajeel shouted and the man opened fire at them. Juvia took cover behind a wrought iron bust of an old judge, and Gajeel found refuge behind a granite column. "You okay?"

"Fine!" Juvia shouted. "Cover me!"

"Right!" Gajeel peeked out and aimed his gun at the shooter, while Juvia moved two pillars forward, shooting as she went along her path.

"Move!" Juvia shouted, and Gajeel did just that, but instead of moving behind cover, he pressed on forward towards the door. "Gajeel!"

He ignored her and aimed his gun at the shooter, who ran out of bullets. By the time he pulled out a magazine for his pistol, Gajeel shot him through the glass door and got him in the kneecap. The shooter cried out and collapsed, struggling to reload his gun. However, Gajeel kicked the gun from him and moved on to the back of the courthouse. He jumped the metal railing of the weaving loading ramp and into the parking lot. Once he cleared the jump, a black SUV with tinted windows sped past him. Gajeel immediately fired his gun and emptied it into the bulletproof vehicle exiting government grounds.

"Fuck!" Gajeel roared.

"This is Lieutenant Juvia Lockser, badge number 36423," Juvia's desperate voice ordered into her cell phone and she appeared beside him. "I need an APB on a Black Cadillac Escalade with tinted windows and bulletproof siding and no license plates, heading east on Rosemont from the Magnolia Civil Courthouse. All available units on route and a city wide aerial surveillance." Gajeel looked over to the shattered door where officers are detaining the injured culprit. "Copy that, dispatch."

"You okay, Sergeant?" Juvia asked, panting and trying to catch her breath.

"I'll be better once we get him." Gajeel hissed, reloading and holstering his gun.

"We will." Juvia followed Gajeel back up the loading ramp and into the courthouse. "I want you to patch him up, detain him and bring him to my precinct. This case is now reopening."

"Yes, ma'am." The officers nodded and roughly tugged on his restraints.

Both Lieutenant and Sergeant retraced their steps from the loading ramp, back into the authorized personal hallway and into the courtroom, where a standard trial turned into a massacre. Wood panels and pieces were scattered on the cold granite floors. Paramedics spread out in different parts of the room; two jurors were being treated, Evergreen was ranting and cursing to Elfman as one EMTs was trying to help her, but she was insistent for her to help the other injured, and the father of three was being carted away unconscious. The familiar smell of iron invaded his nose and red caught his eye on the defendant side. The lawyer and two officers who sat beside the murderer had their throats slit, spilling their blood on the perfectly polished floor.

"Daddy will be alright." Gajeel rejoined Cana, who was trying to calm the two boys down. The little girl, older than her brothers, didn't shed a tear. Her dark blue eyes were dilated and her cheeks were splashed with smeared blood. She stared at Gajeel with eyes that could cut glass, but it was also a look that would never unseen what she had seen. "We're going to get the bas—I mean, we will catch the bad guy who did this, okay?"

Gajeel knew that look all too well, and pointless promises would never change those eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: AHHH! What do you guys think of the first chapter? I'm overjoyed to see the amount of favs/follows I received for this story. I wouldn't mind some reviews now and then. It helps with updating and all. Motivation is key! Motivation! Motivation! And I would like to have some, especially this fanfic. **

**I had this idea for a fic for awhile now. I'm actually interested in writing mystery thrillers, like write an original book, so I'm kind of using this fic as a practice template on how to layout a book of this genre. Yes, this fic is going to be long one. **

**Anyways, I have some Levy in this chapter since we didn't have much of her last chapter (except the prologue). The first five chapters will be updated weekly and chapter six and onward will be bi-monthly. **

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Chapter Two: Gold or Silver

Another routine day.

The morning commute had died down and the streets were fairly quiet for the late September morning. There was a slight chill in the air, though it wasn't drastic enough to pull out the sweater and scarves. Not that Levy minded the fall, she was actually looking forward to Autumn. Her lunch breaks would be spent on the terrace, drinking the seasonal pumpkin spice latte with an extra shot of espresso, losing herself in a relaxing or suspenseful book for thirty minutes. The last three months of her summer Levy spent most of her breaks reading and signing off on tedious robbery reports. Majority of the reports that would come in were from divorce couples breaking into each other's' houses when one was on vacation. Levy liked those, because they were straight to the point and one less report to deal with.

September so far showed promise to Levy as her work load had dropped significantly. Now, she was there during regular business hours; nine to five. She gets to go home to her two bedroom apartment along the Magnolia Strip, above the last standing classic bookstore she spent most of her life in, and have dinner while continuing where she left off from lunch. Levy would get use to this life again. As long as the books are being written, Levy would read them.

"Another round, Detective?" Levy pulled her eyes once she finished the sentence to see the usual barista smiling at her. He pointed at her tepid unfinished latte, thin layer of film already made itself at home inside her ceramic cup.

"N-No, thank you." Levy shook her head, blue wavy curls danced alongside her face. "I'm okay for now. Thanks." She blushed red when he continued to smile at her. "And it's still Officer…"

"Ah! I didn't know. No cases today?" He asked. He had bright blue eyes, hidden behind long blond lashes that shimmered in the almost mid-morning sun. Despite working in a coffee shop, he had a bright pearly smile to match his sparkling eyes.

"No," Levy chuckled. "I left them on my desk." She lifted the book. "Instead, I'm reading a crime thriller."

"Ah!" His eyes beamed more brightly than before. If that was even possible. "She was in town for a book signing last month. It's one of her new books, correct?"

"Yeah," Levy nodded. She was starting to forget that day. Levy was supposed to go to her signing, but a big robbery case had her calling insurance investigators and suspects that could be targets. "Unfortunately, I had to miss it."

_I always miss her signings._

"She's going to be in town next month for All Hallow's Read." He mentioned to Levy. "Maybe if you aren't busy…maybe you want to go together?"

"I—" Levy was interrupted by her cell phone ringing and vibrating loudly on the metal table. "Excuse me. It's work." He nodded and slowly moved back towards the cafe, awkwardly looking for anyone that witnessed what may look like a possible turn down. Levy made sure he was away from ear shot before she answered.

"Hello." Levy answered, stiffening at the other voice in the end. "Sir! Yes, this is McGarden! I mean—Officer McGarden! Sorry. I will remember for next time, sir." Her hands closed the book in front of her, not caring that she forgot to slip the bookmark where she left off. "Tonight? No, sir. I—" She paused again to listen to him. "I didn't hear about it. I'm on my break." Another pause. Her other ear picked up something. Police sirens and helicopters were making its appearance in the coast district. "Sir, I think they are looking for them. Yes, sir! It'll be done, sir."

Levy heard the click on the other end and removed her phone from her ear to see the call ended. She finally sighed and focused on the wailing cars zooming pass the cafe. Bystanders and cafe patrons all looked at the speed fiasco, asking basic curious questions that might be answered by the news. She quickly stuffed her book into her bag, gulped the rest of her latte and swiftly moved out of the terrace.

Somehow she could feel those cool blue eyes looking through the glass windows as she skidded to her ocean blue Jeep. She muttered an apology that only she could hear. Levy wanted to go back and accept his offer, but she knew it was impossible for her to have a simple life. The channel radio was off and as soon as she hopped into her Jeep it was turned on into a hailstorm of chatter to dispatch. She tried to understand the bits and pieces from their frantic conversation. What caught her ear was the two officers were killed along with a lawyer. Another lawyer and a civilian were shot and were sent to the hospital to get treated. An All-points bulletin was made out for a black SUV with tinted windows.

Levy focused on the road and the radio, but something else tried to keep her thoughts elsewhere. The phone call. Right now, it was only time to be vulnerable. She kept sighing just thinking of what comes next, throwing her head back against the waterproof headrest, feeling the wind coming through the opened window and hitting her face. The only time she could be herself before she would have to head back to her precinct. Levy wished Cana was still in Robbery at the Seventh. It wasn't the same ever since she transferred to the fourteenth.

"Oh c'mon!" Levy fisted her steering wheel, rumbling and shaking as her car slowed down. Something was wrong with the wheels, feeling the pedal rattle against her feet. This weekend, she would have to take a look at her car. "Baby, just last until the weekend, please?" She patted the dashboard, releasing caked dust from the black surface, and whirled in the circulating air. She waved her hand in front of her face, diverting the dust out the window.

"_Lincoln Echo 230 to Dispatch." _The radio buzzed. Levy's eyes widen at the familiar voice buzzing over the radio.

"_Dispatch to Lincoln Echo 230, do you read?" _Levy knew that radio number; Cana.

"_I need a twenty on 2 Echo 40? Over." _Levy tried to remember anybody with that code name.

"_Sergeant Redfox is en route west on Paisley and south on Lotus. Shall I contact them? Over." _

"_No," _Cana's voice said. _"I'll take it from here. Over." _

"_Roger that, Lincoln Echo 230." _Dispatch signed off.

"Sergeant Redfox?" Levy pondered at the name. "He's a Sergeant now, huh?" It'd been seven years since that night in front of the courthouse and she learned to forget about that night. Publicly humiliated with her childhood friends like pieces of meat. Ridiculed to the point where Jet and Droy had to drop out of the academy, though the stares and whispers didn't stop her from becoming who she was.

"Officer McGarden." Bisca Connell greeted her as she walked into the frenzied robbery floor. "How was your Code 7?"

"Hard to catch up on reading with the whole city on Code 5." Levy laughed, setting her bag under her desk. "I heard the comms, what's going on?"

"Shooting down at the courthouse." Bisca explained, tapping away on the keyboard. "The final hearing for the Secretary Killer was sabotaged and the defendant escaped with possible mercs aiding him. Sounds like something from one of your books, huh?"

"That's unfortunate." Levy eyed the new pile of paper ready for processing. "I heard Cana over the comms."

"She's keeping busy at the new job." Bisca smiled, eyes still glued to the screen. "I'm envious of the old days." Levy's eyes flickered to the little family photo on Bisca's desk. Bisca and her husband, Alzack, were part of the Magnolia SWAT unit. He then was injured on the job and was given early retirement and honorable discharge. And because of their beautiful six year old daughter, Asuka, Bisca left SWAT and traded her Firearms shield for a detective shield, and Alzack was a Firearms training officer at the academy.

"I don't!" Levy snorted. "I rather solve cases here at my desk and file paperwork than go on patrol."

"Only you would say that." Bisca laughed. "I feel naked without old Betsy." She broke from her typing to pat the handgun in its leather holster, sitting right beside the picture of her family. Levy glanced over to her top right hand drawer of her metal desk, where she kept her service weapon. The last time she used it was before she became a paper pushing officer.

"Levy!" The strangely cheerful voice called from an office across the room. "Can you please come to my office?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Levy nodded and looked over at Bisca, who shrugged her shoulders. She sighed and smoothed out her lavender blouse, fingers grazing her silver badge clipped to her dark gray straight slacks. It was rare for the Captain to call her alone to the office. Usually, the Captain would come to her desk if she needed anything, though this time she was called in like any other detective.

"Levy," Captain Mira Jane Strauss was an upbeat woman working in an environment that clearly did not suit her personality. She didn't like formalities like Sir or Captain; Ma'am was acceptable. She would call her detectives by their first names and not by their title or last names like most Superior Officers. Mira Jane Strauss looked like she belonged in a high end fashion magazine, and in the case of wearing a fitted black pencil skirt, matching black jacket, unbuttoned to reveal an eye popping scarlet red blouse, Mira looked like a J. Crew model. It brought color to her wavy white hair, cool blue eyes, and porcelain ivory skin.

"Mira Jane." After working there for a year, Levy would never get use to calling her Captain by her first name. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes," She smiled and pointed to the mango colored upholstered chair. "There is something I like to discuss with you." Levy's eyes darted away and her jaw hitched, afraid where she was going with this.

"Sure," Levy cleared her throat. "What would you like to talk about?"

"Your promotion." Mira Jane sat down and slid an ivory letter with the Magnolia's crest inside a service shield; a simple magnolia flower in the foreground with scales and a seabird. "This is from the Deputy Chief. He sent it to me this morning." Levy picked the letter and instead of reading it from top to bottom, her eyes immediately read the name; Deputy Chief Gildarts Clive. "And another recommendation came in too from a former partner of yours, Cana Alberona." She slipped the letter to Levy and she didn't need to pick it up, knowing it would mirror the letter she was holding.

"I don't know what to say…" Levy stared at her S.O., speechless in her eyes, not knowing why this was happening. She wanted to tell Mira how much she was comfortable being a desk clerk, doing all the work that most detectives hated to do. She quite enjoyed filling in details, solving easy cases, and read anything else that other officers would miss. It was her comfort and she didn't want to change that.

"With Cana's transfer and a need for more on-field detectives, it would be fitting for you to take the job." Mira Jane explained. "Unfortunately, the filing and paperwork wouldn't decrease because of your promotion. For the last year you work in this department, you know how much paperwork this job entails."

"Yes, I do." Levy nodded.

"I don't know if you are so excited that you are rendered speechless or you are not excited about the news." Mira Jane told her. "I didn't see you smile since I said, 'promotion.'"

"No!" Levy forced a smile, setting the letter on top of Cana's letter of recommendation. "I'm excited! I just don't have the words…"

"Well, good!" Mira Jane smiled, interlacing her fingers together and resting her chin on her hands. "I would hate to see such talent be wasted behind a desk. And I would hate to break the news to the Deputy Chief." There was that deceiving grin again. The one that she heard so much about. Rumors and research of her own had told her about Captain Mira Jane Strauss's infamous history. A former freelance gang detective, she was a lone wolf that would ruthlessly hunt down her suspect just to bring them in for questioning. Her overzealous emotions when an innocent bystander murdered by gang related activities would bring on her renegade side. Which appeared well on her record as she had the most closure rating than any other detective during her time and the streets were a little safer. Crocus Penitentiary consisted of harden gang criminals that were there because of Mira Jane. Demon Detective Strauss was her nickname by all criminals and the police force.

When Levy transferred to Robbery, all the rumors appeared to be false when she was greeted by an informal, kind, laid back, newly appointed Captain that called her by her first name. It was hard to believe she was a gruesome detective that did everything and anything to solve her cases. Though, there were moments where the Demon would appear when you least expect it.

"Let's go." Mira Jane pulled something compact from the drawer of her desk and stood up. Levy was confused and followed with the two letters in her delicate hands.

"What are you going to do?" Levy asked. Mira Jane stepped out of the office.

"Everyone!" Mira Jane shouted, making everyone pause at what they were doing. "I have an announcement to make." Levy looked over to Bisca, who was staring at her confusingly. She then looked around at the staring eyes looking at the tiny woman wearing high heels hiding behind their Captain's back. "I am proud to announce our new field agent. Robbery Detective Levy McGarden." The Captain turned around and faced Levy. "Your gold shield." She held out the same badge with the same badge number, but this time in plated gold. She reached out for the badge and ran her fingers over the grooves. "Congratulations!" She applauded along with the rest. Some nonchalantly following and others cheering wildly.

"Thanks," Levy tilted her head, shyly averting her eyes to the floor. "It's truly an honor." She lied of course, but for the sake of formality. Anyone of these people could have loved the opportunity, however, she knew this day would come whether she liked it or not.

"Now, back to work people!" Mira Jane shouted once more. "Congrats, Levy." Mira Jane winked and returned to her office. Levy paced to her desk, accepting and thanking her fellow officers from their congratulatory handshake or pat on the back.

"Welcome to the club." Bisca smiled. "I hope you remember how to use your gun." Levy sheepishly smiled in response. She stared at her new badge, glistening like the sun in the palm of her hand. To many detectives, it was a long thing coming, knowing that most of them dreamed of their golden shield. Some might only think of it as an increase pay and paperwork. To Levy, the badge was just a formality. She knew the repercussions of this shield. The reason for this shield barring her detective number was far more compelling than what her Captain or Bisca would have imagined.

Levy tugged on her old badge and set both badges next to each other in front of her. Silver and gold; alike in every way possible in appearance, though the responsibilities were different. It would be fitting to say gold weighed more than silver, but to Levy it was far more than that. It was the start of what she trained for the past seven years; the reason why she worked hard to get to where she needed to be.

Her fingers encompassed the badges; one in each hand. The felt the same in her hands, just like their appearance, though something chilling came off of the gold one, and Levy didn't like it one bit.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello, Guys! How are you guys doing this week? I have here another chapter and a pretty long one. This one is about Gajeel's team at the fourteenth precinct. Anyways, I hope you like it and please, please, PLEASE, review and tell me what you think. I would love to hear from you. **

**Anyways, May 3****rd**** through the 9****th**** is Levy McGarden Week on Tumblr and I will be participating in that. I will not be posting a new chapter for this fic until the following Thursday (May 14****th****). Sorry about that guys! **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

Chapter Three: Thirst

"What do you mean we can't hold him?" Captain was shouting in her office, glass doors closed and her voice carried beyond the heavy duty windows. Her dark eyes looked over to her detectives, quickly looking away when she caught them staring at her. "He's important to our case!"

"It doesn't look like we're doing much about this shooting." Detective Bixlow had his cell phone up to his ear too. "I know, Ever, we'll find the fucker. One of the killers is in our custody and someone is patching him up." He paused, cringing from the high pitch yelling at the other end of the line. "I'll let Gajeel know that he should have shot him through the chest instead. Look, we don't have jurisdiction, but the cap is doing every—" He paused again and rolled his eyes. Juvia smiled, hearing Evergreen's voice from her desk. "Okay, I'll let Elfman know. I'll call you when we find something." Bixlow immediately hung up before Evergreen could say anything else. "LT, were we able to find the SUV?" Juvia sat at the edge of her desk, looking into the very vague file of the fake cop.

"Yeah," Juvia sighed, closing the manila folder. "But, Gajeel and Elfman arrived and it was emptied out. Wiped clean."

"We're dealing with some pros." Bixlow sighed with her.

"Gajeel took one out," Juvia added. "Not entirely professionals, are they?"

"Sarge is a beast." Bixlow snorted. "And here I thought we're through with this case."

"Murder never sleeps." Juvia said to him. "No matter how cliché it sounds." Juvia looked into the Captain's office again; the phone still clung to her ear. She ran her fingers through her long blue hair, pulling on the band that held it in a neat ponytail. Blue threads fell over her shoulders like a shining waterfall.

"I don't see the appeal of long hair." Bixlow said to her.

"Huh?" Juvia raised an eyebrow.

"Your hair is nice, LT." Bixlow cleared his throat. "I didn't mean to offend. The Cap, Cana and you always keep your hair down like that. Wouldn't it just get in the way when something like today happens?" Transferred from Narcotics, Detective J. Bixlow was a flapping mouth of a disaster that manages to piss almost everyone off in this precinct. His wacky short dark blue hair styled tastefully into a tri-hawk, contrasting with black shaven hair. In just the right lighting, his brownish red eyes would have a hint of green like the northern lights. Despite his carefree demeanor, he was a master of reading and interrogating people. He doesn't have to say much to get a confession. Sometimes all it takes was a good stare down and a thorough look into the person's file to make them crack. And just like Cana, he sometimes forgets his place.

"Well, you forgot about Gajeel on your list." Juvia giggled, smoothing out the ends. "His is longer and thicker than all three of us combined."

"And I wonder how you know about that?" Bixlow showed a toothy grin.

"Detective!" Juvia spat. "We know you're connection to the Deputy Chief, but that doesn't mean you should say—"

"I kid." Bixlow laughed. "I'm sorry, LT. It won't happen again."

"Right." Juvia rolled her eyes. Teasing and roasting cop banter was common in their precinct or in any precinct in that matter. She remembered how stiff and gullible she was when she entered the academy. She didn't have many friends, because her focus was clear in her own right. When she worked as a patrol cop, her partner wasn't talkative either and most of their nights patrolling the city were in mere silence or rowdy when they get a call from dispatch. When she received her detective shield and transferred to Homicide, it was a whole different world.

It was frightening at first. Everyone was nice, everyone wanted Juvia to join them for drinks or stay late and have Chinese take-out while they look through tedious paperwork. Even if she said yes, Juvia didn't have much to say to them. She didn't go out with friends. Her hobbies are her job and swimming every morning with maybe the occasional sparring session with her old academy superior officer. She didn't understand some of their weird jargon they would sputter out. Vocabulary that she didn't pick up in the academy, but somehow everyone who was a cop knew what those strange terms meant. Her heart felt heavy during those times, feeling out of place in a job that she was supposed to enjoy. A job that became her life. It would have made her second guess her decision, but someone made sure she snapped out of that realization.

"Tell me you broke the bastard?" Gajeel came from the elevator with Elfman, stomping towards their desk and draping their suit jackets over the back of their seats. He was asking Bixlow directly and he responded with a shake of his head.

"Captain is having a tough time convincing the second that he belongs in our chain of custody because he is linked to our crime." Juvia pointed to the red head yelling into her phone, tangling herself in the outdated cord. "I don't know about you, but I feel like we should interrogate him before the guys from the second come by and take him."

"We?" Gajeel raised an eyebrow.

"For old time's sake," Juvia tilted her head. "I hope you don't mind Bixlow."

"Your call, LT." Bixlow shrugged his shoulders. "It'll be cool to see you break someone."

"Instead of breaking you?" Juvia teased, causing the detectives laugh at Bixlow.

"I think Lisanna has that covered." Cana added.

"Oh man!" Bixlow slapped a hand over his heart, mocking in pain. "Ganged up by two gorgeous women! Sarge! Help me out here? Elfman?" And once he said his name, the _Beast_ took a hold of his collar into his giant fists.

"You are dating my little sister?" Elfman shook him steadily.

"N-No!" Bixlow laughed uncomfortably. "W-We're not like that—?"

"Elfman," Gajeel said to him. "We have a man to find."

"Right," Elfman let him go and burned a set of dark eyes into Bixlow before he turned towards his desk.

"Thanks, Sarge!" Bixlow cheered. "It's great having someone on my side."

"I'm not." Gajeel hissed. "If you get in trouble I ain't going down with ya."

"Fair enough," Bixlow grinned. Another incoherent rambling screech came from the Captain's office. It had been a light September since the closure of this recent case. In which they weren't complaining of the lack of murders. It should be a good thing all things considering, but the boredom was starting to get to the detectives. This new event had been the highlight of their month, though they wished it didn't have to happen this way.

"It's not the Captain's call." Juvia said to her detectives. "And even if she gets Dreyer to convince the commissioner to lift jurisdiction and have a precinct co-operation, they would have the upper hand and we'll be stuck doing all the non-ethical paperwork."

"What's our play, LT?" Elfman asked. "No disrespect to the guys at the 2nd, but those guys are literally political hound dogs."

"Bring him to room one," She ordered Elfman. Juvia stood up and looked at Gajeel. "Just like old times?"

"Why not?" Gajeel shrugged his shoulders. "I'm getting sick and tired of Bixlow's methods."

"At least it gets the job done." He snickered. "I'll go get the popcorn."

"Before that, send out BOLOs (_Be On Look Out)_ of our escaped felon." Juvia ordered him. "Let's do this before they get here."

"Roger that," Gajeel followed his lieutenant, giving a side glance into the Captain's office. Her gray eyes peeked behind side swept bangs and stared at him, following him as they head to the interrogation room. The Captain nodded with a small smile as she continued to argue on the phone. He responded with a firm nod and disappeared from her sight.

* * *

Almost every time Gajeel stepped into the interrogation room, the person in question always have some reaction to his overall appearance. Wild long black hair, held back by a solid color headband across his forehead. Painfully looking piercings lined the bridge of his nose, chin and if they could see it beneath the headband, the metal rivets that replaced his non-existent eyebrows. If he didn't wear his usual leather or sports jacket, they would often glance at his forearms where piercings line his muscled arms. And if that didn't startle them, the suspect in question would stare at the array of light beige slash scars running from his wrists to his shoulder on his right arm. The cherry on top to his scary appearance was his bright red eyes piercing the soul of the suspect.

Often times Gajeel would be in the room with another detective. Lately, it'd been Detective Alberona, which most times she would go overboard in her questioning, leaving Gajeel to interrupt her ranting and yelling by butting in. With Bixlow, Gajeel had to be the scare tool while Bixlow did his job at peeling the suspect with simple questions. It was rare to be in the room with Elfman, only when they arrest someone too big or someone with an assault record. Though, what Gajeel liked most about co-operational interrogation was how Juvia and himself would play the oldest trick in the book; Good cop and Bad cop.

"Thank you for coming in." Juvia followed behind Gajeel, walking around him and taking a seat in front of the beaten up suspect and possible murderer.

"I had no fucking choice, you bitch!" His golden tan skin went red, vein in his forehead protruding as his eyes glared at the both of them. It would seem like he wasn't afraid of them. "You fucker shot me!" His narrow almond like eyes beamed lasers in Gajeel's direction, who took place against the wall, just next to the two way mirror.

"Jun Nakamura." Juvia opened up his file in front of her. "You don't have much of a record. A few parking tickets, but that's pretty much it." Juvia scanned the papers over as a formality. "Now, I want to know how someone like you ended up with assisting the escape of a first degree murderer?" Her voice was low, smooth and almost sincere.

"Hmph," He laughed musingly. "You give me a half ass patch job for my knee and you want to be buddy buddy with me?"

"Fine, straight to the point then." Juvia leaned back in her seat, and took a good look at their perpetrator. "Who do you work for? And who hired you and your buddies?"

He said nothing.

"Jun," Juvia said, strong and resolute. "I have forensics with three bloodied knives used to kill MCPD officers and a top notch lawyer that your target hired specifically to get him out of this tragic mess. One of those knives might have your prints, and if it does, it'll connect you to the murder of a civilian and two police officers. Or if you were the ones that shot one of the District Attorney's finest lawyers and the father of three who is fighting for his life, I am sure you are going to do time for that. Especially if they press charges."

The suspect didn't say anything. Only stared at her with still eyes.

"If you tell me who you work for and where we could find Octavius Carl, I'll put in a good word for you. Lower your sentence and have you stay at Magnolia Correctional." Juvia explained, watching the man remained unconvinced. "That's the best I can do for someone who killed cops. Do you want to know what they do to cop killers in Crocus Penitentiary? And if that man dies and those kids become orphans, because you didn't want to spill the beans, I can assure you that you will be sent to Administrated Segregation and all they do there is make life a living hell for cop killers."

"Either way, Lieutenant." Jun shook his head. "It's gonna be hell for me, right?" He let out an amusing chuckle. "What's the point if I talk to you?" He laughed slightly louder, leaning back contently despite his injured leg and handcuffed wrists. "There is nothing you can get out of me, sweetheart."

Gajeel shook his head, knowing exactly what was coming next, knowing all too well how his former partner was. It was then Jun caught him shaking his head and before he could say anything. Juvia slammed her hand on the desk, startling Jun in his seat, almost falling backwards, but Juvia grabbed the chain from his handcuffs and slammed him over the table.

"That's Lieutenant to you." Juvia scolded him, face inches away from him. She was standing now, metal chair thrown back like a child's toy. Her fists still clench the chain of his cuffs and forcefully pull him closer to the center of the rickety folding table. "Did you think I became one because I'm a sweetheart? I am going to warn you. I'm a sweetheart compared to our Captain. And you don't want me to get the Captain now do you?" Jun didn't say anything. If it was anyone else, he would be talking, but the man glared back, wincing in pain once in awhile as Juvia kept pulling on the chain until her knuckles were white. "Now, you're gonna tell me who do you work for?" Her eyes pierced his own glare, quickly caving to her quip, though his lips remained shut.

"Lieutenant," Gajeel finally spoke, pushing off the wall and untangling his arms to his sides. "Go get some coffee for you and Mr. Nakamura." Juvia glanced at Gajeel before looking back at the scum in front of her. His eyes were enraged, but his quivering lips, shaking hands all tell him that she got to him. He was a good actor, although Gajeel was better. Suddenly, a knock from the two way mirror interrupted them and Juvia finally let go of his chains.

"I'll see what they want." Juvia said to him, straightening her blouse, smoothing out the fabric. She left the two of them in there and Gajeel picked up the chair and set it back where it belongs. Instead of sitting down in the chair, Gajeel stood beside Jun, who was looking at his reflection in the mirror, watching Gajeel pull out the small silver keys to his handcuffs, and unlocked one of the cuffs. Jun relaxed, smiling mischievously at the mirror, but soon frowned when Gajeel took the restrained hand over his head, feeding the unoccupied cuff through the opening of the chair and finally taking his free hand and re-cuffing him. With the new position of his hands, Jun had no choice but to lean forward with his chest against the table. Gajeel noticed how uncomfortable it was for him to slump his body over sitting down, applying pressure to his injured leg. It was exactly what he wanted.

"I'm gonna let you in on a secret." Gajeel said to him, tightening the cuffs to the point where his own blood won't be able to pass to his hands. "I was made lieutenant, but I turned it down." Gajeel leaned in and said into his ear. "The title is a formality. Sure, a pay grade, but our job is pretty much the same as any other homicide detective." Gajeel pulled back and grabbed his head, pressing it gently against the table. It was not to hurt him, just to make him uncomfortable. "It's not about arrestin' them, not about…enforcin' the law." He let go of his head and moved to face him, taking the chair, flipping it around where Gajeel straddled it with the back rest against the edge of the table. His red eyes studied the daze man, finally showing signs of fatigue.

"Then, what's it about?" Jun asked, peeking up with his cheek still resting on the table.

"You tell me." Gajeel crossed his arms. "What do you think my department has that most homicide department do not?" He let out a small laugh. "No, not most departments. All. What makes the fourteenth precinct have that all other precincts lack?"

"An espresso machine?" Jun answered nonchalantly. It was true. The fourteenth was the only precinct with an espresso machine, enticing pungent smell of coffee with the fluttering sound of the high whistle steamer frothing whole milk for the caffeine fueled police officer. "I remember the other places gave me shit when I was taken in for questioning."

"Oh?" Gajeel's eyes widen. "What were you being questioned for? Don't say for parking tickets." Gajeel smiled, knowing that he got something out of him without even trying. He wanted to turn around and look at the mirror. Bixlow was behind that wall; the suspect whisperer. Instead, Gajeel compromised with one of the two cameras that were attached to the corners of the room and feeding a live feed into two screens in the adjacent room. He smirked, watching the blinking red light at the camera before he returned to his suspect.

"I had too many." Jun cleared his throat.

"Right." Gajeel laughed. "You're a mercenary. And the fact that you don't want to talk means that someone wealthy enough to buy your discretion. From the way you acted in front of my Lieutenant and for what you just said, you had a record and someone powerful cleared your name. Am I getting warmer, Jun?"

He said nothing. Only breathing heavily against the table, shifting his body slightly from his fatigue.

"Tell me who hired you?" Gajeel demanded.

"Why don't you make me a triple latte and have your sweetass Lieutenant come back in here and punish me?" He rejoiced in his insult. Little did he know was that he had said his death wish.

So much for being the good cop.

"Fuck!" Jun screamed when Gajeel's steel toed boot rammed into his injured leg, digging into the spot where he shot him. He then hooked his foot behind his knee and pulled it towards him and then stomped his foot on top of his, making Jun scream louder.

"I forgot to tell you," Gajeel rested his crossed arms at the top of the chair, leaning in so he could hear him. "What our detectives have that the other precincts don't have is…a thirst." Gajeel paused, hearing Jun huffing and puffing his cheeks as he seethed through the pain. "We're hunters. That's what we do. We track killers. Simple as that. Bringing justice to the victim's families is what drives our thirst. We're good at what we do because we live for the thrill of hunting assholes like you. Weak bastards that kill for money. You don't talk? That's fine by me. It makes it even more fun. I may look intimidatin', but I will tell you that I'm the nicest person in the world compare to my LT and Captain." Gajeel's heel pushed harder on top of his foot, and his knee rammed into his injured one. Another set of cuss words escaped his mouth, and this time tears were pouring down his dark eyes. "But, I ain't so nice if you talk shit about my comrades. If you want to keep yer leg, I suggest you fuckin' talk."

"You piece of—AH! Police fucking brutality!" Jun cried out when Gajeel pushed harder. "You. Have. No—Idea what you are dealing with!"

"Who am I dealing with?"

"You shits are nothing compare to these guys." Jun finally opened his mouth. "I open my mouth and I am a dead man."

"I won't let that happen if you tell me whose yer boss." Gajeel let up the pressure in his leg and Jun shifted himself. "Tell me what I need to know."

"Please, let me go." Jun quivered. His arms were shaking, his neck muscles were tense from the position he was in. "I-I-I'll tell you everything." Gajeel complied and lifted his foot.

"Tell me." Gajeel sat up and sighed. "Tell me what I ask for, and I'll return yer cuffs the way they're supposed to be worn." Gajeel stared at him, watching the grown man in front of him break into a shaking little boy. It took him a few huffs and two loud coughs to get himself to calm down from the receding pain. Gajeel's foot itched to stomp his foot again, but he held back and gave him a second.

He finally opened his mouth and whatever he said was at a complete lost to Gajeel.

"Fairy Tail."

"Fairy…?" Gajeel was interrupted as soon as the door busted open with two uniformed cops and the Captain following them in.

"Jun Nakamura." One of the uniformed officers held out his own pair of handcuffs. "You're coming with us."

"Why?" He looked over to Gajeel who didn't say a word. "Where are you taking me?"

"No more questions." The second officer moved to the side and asked Gajeel for the keys to his cuffs.

"You're being taken to their precinct." Captain Erza Scarlet held up the arrest warrant. "As a suspect for Murder."

"No," Jun struggled when the officer put his own restraints on. "Wait! I'll tell you everything! Just don't make me go outside!" Jun looked at Gajeel, already tearful eyes pleading for him to do something. In normal circumstances, Gajeel wouldn't care, but the fact that his suspect was pleading for him to keep him in his custody after saying something strange made him curious on why this mercenary was so scared of being taken away. "Detective! Please!"

"I can't do anything." Gajeel answered his pleas. He wanted to tell him if Jun confessed and given him the information he wanted it would be much easier for him. Though, even if he did, it would be empty promises, and nothing could stop those officers from taking him away from their custody.

"What?" His eyes shaking, face washed over in disbelief. "I'll tell you everything about Fairy Tail!" There it was again.

"Let's go!" The officer pulled roughly on his arms and dragged him out of the room. Gajeel fixed the chairs and looked at the cameras in the corner one last time before he followed the Captain out.

"Considering he is an accessory to our killer's case," The Captain told the two officers. "We would like to be informed on new developments regarding Octavius Carl. I left Detective Strauss's number to your lieutenant if anything arises."

"Yes, sir." They both said at the same time before they started moving Jun towards the elevator. Captain Erza Scarlet folded the piece of paper in her hands and turned around to see her team gathered around. Even as Captain, she still wore her badge around her neck in a sturdy chain, and her gun was clipped to her lower back, ready when she needed it. Which was never unless she was on the field. Most days she would be in her office as her detectives did all the outside work. And most of her work consisted of talking to the District Attorney's office, the commissioner and all the time the Deputy Chief. Unlike the other captains, she would get herself involve in the cases her detectives are working on. Just for the thrill, Erza would take on a suspect in questioning.

"Now that everyone is here…" Erza looked at her team. "Let's get up to speed on where we're at. Cana?"

"Unis are patrolling Carl's old neighborhoods and hang outs." Cana answered. "And I interviewed the children's family whether there is someone specific that could be targeting them."

"Evergreen was also shot." Erza pointed it out. "Either Elfman or Bixlow ask Evergreen if she had been receiving threats lately. And go to the defendant's lawyer's firm and see if he was also getting threats too."

"Yes, sir." Elfman nodded.

"Will do," Bixlow added.

"Where are we on finding Octavius Carl?" Erza asked.

"We got an APB, BOLOs on all sectors of Magnolia." Gajeel answered. "And on the no fly list."

"We couldn't identify any of his associates in the security cameras at the courthouse." Juvia added. "Their faces were not recognizable in the Face Recognition software, but we put their faces along with the BOLOs of Carl."

"Juvia and Gajeel are going to keep tabs on Carl's location. I also need your firearm reports from the courthouse shooting." Erza turned to them. "Until there's work to be done here, both of you will work on finding the Carl and his assailants. Gajeel, use your contacts in the Gang Unit and Vice for Juvia to find his whereabouts."

"Yes, Sir." Juvia said while Gajeel nodded. Erza looked at each of their faces and nodded.

"The Commissioner has a tour phase on all precincts." Erza also told them. "Two officers are down and we're around the clock until we catch the bastards. Except for Gajeel and Juvia. You are relieved once the reports are done, but are on call with Carl's location. Am I clear?"

Gajeel and Juvia were hesitant at first. They didn't want special treatment, because of their firefight early that day and the new Commissioner passing a new code for detectives. They didn't like it one bit, however, arguing with Captain Erza didn't sound appealing at all. "Yes, sir." They both agreed.

"Let's get this SOB." Erza dismissed her team and they got to work.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Another chapter! Yes! Anyways, I want to thank those who have reviewed this story. A couple I received feedback on and I'm glad for your input. When the time comes, I will go back and extensively edit the story. I did reread chapter one and there were a few things I want to change. **

**Enough of that! Here is the chapter! The next one will be next week for sure. From Chapter Six and beyond, chapter will be updated every other week. I hope you like this chapter. It's one of my favorites to write AND one of the first scenes I wrote for this series. **

**Enjoy! And please let me know what you think and if you see any mistakes, please let me know! Heart you! **

* * *

Chapter Four: Siblings

"Gajeel," A low voice shook him from his sleep. Or more rather of resting his eyes as he didn't get much since the incident at the courthouse. His red eyes peeked open to see his dark room illuminated by the draw of the charcoal gray curtains, letting in the early morning sunrise. "It's time to get up."

"No," Gajeel rasped, grabbing the pillow beside his full size bed and plopping it over his face. He could hear his half-brother sigh in the usual frustration. "Don't you have class?"

"Not until ten." Rogue laughed, taking the pillow from his face and slammed the pillow back. Gajeel winced at the abrupt thud of the pillow, all his senses finally waking up. "We're going to be late." Gajeel took the pillow beneath his head and hurled it towards Rogue, hitting him in the back of his head.

"You gotta be kidding me." Gajeel glanced at the clock; 6:34 AM. "Shit, I only slept for one hour?"

"C'mon," Rogue told him. "You texted me to get you up for breakfast." He pulled his phone out, light from the screen illuminating his face. His medium length hair came to the top of his bony shoulders. "See?" Gajeel squinted at the bright light and read the message. Time stamped: 4:57 AM. "You don't want to make Wendy mad."

"Yeah, yeah," Gajeel stifled a yawn.

"You can always come back and sleep." Rogue slapped his bare shoulder and headed towards the door. "We'll leave when you're ready."

Gajeel groggily sat up, feeling the chill of the overrun air conditioning pumping through the vents. His skin turned gooseflesh when he drew back the comforter. Only wearing his Calvin Klein boxer briefs he received for his birthday from his little cousin, Wendy. The loft was not the same since she moved out a few weeks ago. It was the start of the next chapter of her life as Wendy Marvel was entering her first year of Medical school, and she moved back in with Natsu since his house was much closer to the train station into the capital.

For September, it was an oddly brisk morning as the sun made itself present above the horizon when Gajeel and Rogue drove to the old style, old fair, _8-island Diner, _located in the center of the west side of Magnolia. The location was not the best place to be in, but the fact that the diner was a usual cop hang out and operated by a retired commander, it made the place safer than the gold coast. Though, the exterior didn't look like it would belong; old brick building squeezed between an abandoned massage parlor that was disguised as a labor trafficking Establishment, and a rundown Chinese restaurant. Both the diner and the Chinese place proudly showcased their rickety neon signs and dingy aged stained windows, making the bright lights appear hazy through the glass.

"Detective!" When Gajeel and Rogue entered the diner and the jingle of the bell above the squeaky door, all the uniformed men and women looked at their direction and recognized him immediately. "Sergeant." Some would tilt their hats as Gajeel passed by and he would nod back in response.

"Black Steel." A female cop and strangely often times men would call him by his fictional alias that he learned to hate since _that_ woman came into his life. Correction: Into their lives.

"Gajeel!" There was his reason to get up from his lack of sleep, getting up from the booth and giving him a great big hug. "My god, you look exhausted." She took a very good look at his face; eyes puffed and droopy under his eyes. She then set her hand on his shoulders and took a look at his large body, feeling the tension in his muscle and the way his shoulders were slumped over. Gajeel couldn't help but smile at his little cousin.

"Don't worry about me," Gajeel laughed. "Just be the best doctor, so you can take care of me." Wendy rolled her eyes and sat back down next to Natsu, who was wearing his Fire Inspector uniform. His white button shirt was unusually wrinkled free, silver badge pinned on the right pocket, sleeves unbuttoned and rolled up to his elbows, barring muscular forearms. His pink hair was recently cut, noticing his hair not overlapping his ears and spiked ends dropping down like Rogue's hair. It made his scar on his neck stand out from his lightly tanned skin. A scar he received when he was fourteen.

"Maybe you should find a girlfriend who can do that for you." Wendy mentioned. Twenty-two and too smart and kind for her own good. She had beautiful large toasted chestnut eyes that were full of curiosity and wonder. Her long dark night blue hair was primly pushed back into a high pony tail and tied with a dark red ribbon, matching the headband he had on at that moment. "Almost thirty and no girlfriend. You can't be married to your job." No matter how many times she would lecture the men in her life, Gajeel would only see Wendy as the little girl in knee highs and pigtails.

"If he could, he would, you know?" Rogue added with a chuckle. Twenty-three and too stupid to realize how smart he was. Rogue was his half-brother from the same mother. After Gajeel's mother left him and his dad, she remarried and had a son with another man.

"I heard what happened in the courthouse." Natsu changed the subject, grinning at Gajeel. Too strange for the topic to be smiling as if he had an agenda. "Happy told me that you couldn't catch five guys."

"I shot one of them." Gajeel exasperated. "Bullet to the leg, nothing fatal." It reminded Gajeel of what kept bothering him all day yesterday. "Juvia and I got some info before uniforms from the 2nd precinct took him back to their chain of custody."

"Why did they take him back to the 2nd?" Natsu inquired, taking a long drag from his over sugared and creamed coffee. "He was aiding the escape of your guy."

"But, he killed three guys and injured two others in their jurisdiction." Gajeel exhaled out of his pierced nose audibly. "Makes sense for them to bring him back. Plus, Elfman is working with them."

"I hope you find him soon." Wendy wrapped her small hands around the warm mug.

"Here, here." Rogue held up his mug and the three of them met his mug.

Their food arrived and they enjoyed their breakfast and coffee in each other's company. Breakfast was the only time they could be together. Rogue was going to school for Forensic Science and Criminal Justice while he worked as a bartender at the Magnolia Legion a block from their loft. Wendy was now in medical school in the capital, occasionally staying there in Lucy's flat, but she couldn't resist returning home when the opportunity arise. Natsu was an Arson Investigator for the Magnolia Fire Department Station #7777, and engaged to the illustrious and beautiful Lucy Heartifilia. Although, Gajeel would consider her annoying, nosy, and immodest bunny girl who had an overactive imagination. As for Gajeel, his job was the only thing going for him now. Nothing outlandishly new like a wedding to plan, or a new career to obtain.

He was Detective Sergeant Gajeel Redfox of the 14th Precinct. He was content and he loved it.

"Romeo?" Natsu and Gajeel said in unison, both giving each other glances before returning it to Wendy. "Who's this Romeo?" They both said.

"Guys…" Wendy shook his head.

"Wait!" Natsu's dark eyes widen. "I work with a rookie named Romeo…"

"No—" Gajeel narrowed his eyes. Wendy stiffens in her seat, slowly shifting towards the edge of the booth.

"A firefighter." Rogue added.

"No way!" Natsu and Gajeel shouted, causing certain patrons to look in their direction.

"Like I was saying." Wendy sighed. "Anyways, we're not dating…yet." She said shyly, cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "Though, I would like it if you guys meet him."

"Nope."

"I already did."

Natsu and Gajeel said respectively childishly.

"He's not so bad." Rogue reassured them. "Sting and I took a chemistry class with the guy. He's smart." Both of them shrugged their shoulders, mumbling something incoherent over their lukewarm coffee.

"I have to get going." Wendy looked at her watch and gathered her bag from under the table. "I need to catch the eight o'clock train."

"You should drive to the capital." Gajeel commented. "You know how I don't like you riding the train alone since Rogue or Sting ain't with you."

"Right!" She laughed. "Are you going to lend me that unfinished hunk of metal in the garage?"

"The truck." He pointed over his shoulder to the black pickup truck parked outside. "I can use my work car or another car from the motor pool."

"And are you willing to pay for gas?" Wendy waited for an answer and he said nothing. "That's what I thought. Nah, there is too much traffic going into the capital. The train is on time all the time."

"Don't worry, Gajeel." Rogue smiled. "I'll walk her to the station." Gajeel nodded and watch them get up from their seats.

"Be careful." Natsu shouted. It was the only thing they could do. The world was a cruel place and if their line of work didn't give them that perspective, it was their upbringing that made them paranoid about their younger family members. However, they had to remind themselves that those two including Sting had it even rougher growing up.

"Hey, Salamander." A nickname Gajeel called him since they were babes; little boy with pink hair collecting Salamanders from the window well and tried to raise them inside the bathtub, making his butch father screech like a little girl. "There's something I have to ask you."

"You? Asking me?" Natsu laughed. "It must be big if you're asking me something."

"I ain't gonna ask you if yer going to be like that." Gajeel huffed. "Now, listen to what I have to say. It's important that you don't say this to anyone."

"Got it."

"Not even Lucy and Happy."

"Just Lucy."

"Forget it then."

"C'mon, Black Steel!" Natsu begged. "I was kidding. It has to do with your case, right?"

"Yeah," Gajeel exasperated. "I ain't liking that name anymore. Stop calling me that."

"Hey," Natsu leaned back, resting his right arm across the back of the booth. "That's what I've been callin' you since you called me Salamander."

"Yeah, but blame your fiancée for ruining the name." Gajeel crossed his arms, looking down at his empty plate. "Anyways, it's about yesterday. The suspect that I shot told me something. Something that has to do with his employer."

"Okay," Natsu nodded. They stared at each other for a bit. Gajeel wasn't sure if he should share this information with him. It could be nothing, so he really had nothing to lose if he did mention it to Natsu. Though, it could be something big and the last thing he wanted was to drag his cousin into a mess he could not get out.

"Fairy Tale." Gajeel told him. Natsu's eyes widen, not blinking after that. After a few beats and a few officers walking by…

"How do you spell it?"

"F-A-I-R-Y-T-A-L-E?" Gajeel articulate each letter.

"Not _tail_?"

"I said _tale._"

"No, like the animal tail tail."

"Huh?"

"Forget it." Natsu shook his head. "What did he say about it?"

"Nothing." Gajeel mimicked him, leaning back, and arms remained crossed. "He said Fairy Tale and they took him away." He wanted to tell him about how he reacted after telling him about Fairy Tail. How after he said that to Gajeel, Jun turned into a prideful mercenary to a cowardly little boy almost instantly.

"I don't know much either." Natsu pondered for a minute. "I remember my old man saying something about it. He wrote it down too. Wrote it—" He pulled out his notepad and, "—Fairy Tail."

"Is that why you spelled 'tale' _tail_ until you were in high school?" He smiled at his cousin, who blushed embarrassingly. Gajeel wanted to tease him further, but an obnoxious ring and vibrating inside his coat jacket interrupted them. He pulled out his cell phone and the picture of the MCPD seal and the Captain's name graced the screen.

"Redfox." Gajeel answered the phone after the third ring. "I'll be there in twenty." He said, hanging up and checking his messages. He stared at his inbox and Juvia messaged him shortly after with the address.

"Don't tell me?" Natsu asked.

"Looks like it." Gajeel deadpanned. A skill he learned over the last decade.

"Shit." Natsu hissed. "I don't know how you do it."

"Same way you do." Gajeel curled his lip slightly. Despite their differences, the baggage their jobs entailed was something they could relate to. The waitress dropped off the check and hurried off.

"I got it!"

"Got it!"

They both reached for the check and then glared at each other from across the table. One would think to not cause trouble in a diner full of police officers. However, when these two fight over the check, the officers present wouldn't even dare cross Salamander and Black Steel's path. The only one who could stop them was Wendy, who already left, and—

"Oi!" shouted the old man behind the counter and holding a pot of coffee in his hands. "You two wreck my diner again, I will contact your commissioner and chief!" They weren't listening like they always did. "Natsu! Gajeel!" He roared, and they both pulled their eyes from each other to look over to Yajima. He walked towards them in a slow pace and held out his hands, one in front of the other. "Enough and split the checks."

"Yes, sir…" They said simultaneously, reaching for the wallets and handing the even amount of cash.

"Jeez." Yajima scowled. "You ain't the teenage boys that would cause trouble in the dish washing station. You are Magnolia's finest. Act like it."

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

Rested Mornings was Levy's favorite.

The thing about being an officer in the robbery investigation unit was that she could get enough of it. If time wasn't an issue with paperwork or a certain case, she could get a full seven to eight hours of sleep. Unless if she was in the middle of a really good part of a book, then she could be up all night, though it shouldn't bother her. She was already use to sleeping four maybe six hours if she was lucky. One hour of sleep? Maybe not.

Now, Detective Levy trudged out of the elevator with her pumpkin spice latte (two extra shots of espresso instead of one) in hand, slowly making it towards her desk. She prayed on her ride to work that there wouldn't be any big robberies reported for her to leave her desk. After what happened last night, she knew that her wish would be very unlikely.

"Detective!" Bisca holstered her service weapon behind her and wrapped the badge around her neck. "We got a big one in the museum."

"We do?" She said hoarsely. Bisca noticed the reluctant smile and stifling yawn.

"Late night with your friends?"

"You can say that." She said after the yawn.

"You can ride with me." Bisca patted her shoulder. "The Cap is already there."

* * *

Murder never sleeps.

And neither did Gajeel apparently.

There he was approaching the building of his new case. Police cars and yellow barricades lined the numerous steps of the Magnolia Historical Art Museum. Pedestrians and news reporters lined the edge of the barricade, trying to get the standing officers anything about the crime committed in the building. Nothing came from their mouths, only when someone without a badge tried to get in.

"Morning, Sergeant." One of them greeted while Gajeel moved aside his leather jacket revealing his golden badge. He nodded and made his way up, marveling on the tarnished green copper lions on either end of the stairs.

He only been to the history art museum once and that was when he had to chaperon for Rogue's high school field trip. If they didn't had to walk so much, he would have fallen asleep on a bench or one of those majestic lion's back. Gajeel had no recollection of the museum's interior. Remembering none of it as it'd been over seven years since he accompanied Rogue and Sting with their flirtatious red headed teacher who he had no interest in.

Gajeel followed the bread crumb trail of patrol officers nodding at him as he passed them. He would glance at the art hung along the hallways, not really taking an interest in any of them. Abstract art, impressionism from the 1500's, sculptures that exposed as much as a corpse in a corner's cold metal slab, and the weird mess of tangled paper clips sitting on a pedestal with a single spotlight shining down on it. He didn't understand art.

Until he saw her again.

Lady Justice was in a painting, and he didn't like it one bit. Her sword was held weakly in her fingers, letting the tip of it rest beside her feet. Ropes entangled her limbs, restraining her wrists, waist, arms, neck, causing crackling in her marble robe clad body. The scales that were held at the level of her covered eyes were overflowing with money and imbalanced, though one thing remained was her harden smile and her blindfold. For some reason, Gajeel wanted to rip the painting off the wall and tear the canvas into million pieces right then and there.

"Gajeel!" Juvia approached him with a paper cup of coffee. "You just got here?" Gajeel snorted and grabbed the coffee from his partner.

"Thanks," Gajeel nodded. "Yeah, I was at the west end with Wendy and the others."

"That's nice." Juvia smiled. "How are they? I haven't seen them in awhile."

"Busy." Gajeel coughed, not because of how hot the coffee was.

"Something we understand, right?" Juvia chuckled. She noticed that Gajeel stopped a few paces behind her and was looking at the exhibit sign about the hall they had to get to. "Something wrong?" He didn't show it, but his eyes weren't blinking, staring at the sign above them. It couldn't be a coincidence. How everything unfolded yesterday, and his chat with Natsu. This couldn't be what Jun had warned him about.

"No," Gajeel deadpanned and moved on, striding to catch up with Juvia and she followed in step with him as they moved towards the _Fairy Tail exhibit._


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Another week! Another Chapter! Now the actual case is in progress this chapter and some actual Gajevy interaction (sort of). Anyways, I am on vacation and getting married in nine days (May 30****th****). The next update will be the second week of June. From then on, chapters will be updated every two weeks. It'll give me a week to write it and another week to look it over before sharing it. I do apologize for the wait. Enjoy the chapter and see you in June. **

* * *

Chapter Five: Harvesters of Sorrow

The Fairy Tail Exhibit had many different types of art to offer. Sculptures of the founders of Magnolia graced the open gallery floor while paintings of their battles exaggerated painted by varies artists from all over. One of the pervasive images in the gallery was the Fairy Tail symbol, a bird like creature with a long half arrowed tail, shorten spikes act like wings and the feet that extended far from the body, it was one of the symbols used in the Magnolia crest, though shrunk in size to make the scales look slightly larger than the supposed seabird. The symbol was seen all over the art and even the sculptures. The exhibit was filled with the logo of Fairy Tail, however, one of the sculptures weren't clad with the symbol.

Gajeel approached the bloody mess that laid across the center of the gallery, right in front of the stature of one of the founders' Yuri Dreyer. Standing majestically with his hands on his hips, smiling as his lifeless eyes peered into nothingness and smiled at whoever stared at him. He was a witness to the murder beneath him, though it remained cold and still, just like the bloodied body at his feet.

"Good morning!" Medical Examiner Lisanna Strauss greeted them, only looking up from her clipboard shortly before she returned to whatever notes she was writing. "Nothing like the smell of blood with your morning coffee." The very young medical examiner curved a sheepish smile. It was her first year as an official medical examiner. The child genius wasn't a child no longer. Being the youngest sister of Detective Elfman and Captain Mira Jane Strauss, she thought she could use her remarkable intelligence to help her siblings make the city a better place. Little did she know as a coroner intern at the age of sixteen, that death really didn't come easily while ruffling through the dead's' personal belongings. To Gajeel, Lisanna reminded him of an older Wendy. Smart, pretty, older siblings she would look up to and an attitude to handle their overzealous siblings. Those days were past her as she was a twenty-six year old doctor who devoted her new life and career to the dead.

"Mornin' Lis," Gajeel yawned. "What do we have?" Gajeel studied the woman lain in the center of a pool of sticky clotting blood. From the looks of the shade of red, Gajeel knew the victim was dead early last night and was found early this morning. The face was pale white like a ghost and her eyes were hooded, almost peeking slightly towards the detectives.

"Seven gunshot wounds to the chest." Lisanna shifted her weight to her other leg as she squatted down at the edge of the pool of blood. "One shot at the sternum was the initial kill shot. The others that surround it were just to make her bleed out."

"At least they didn't make her suffer." Juvia said deadpanned.

"I guess," Lisanna shrugged her shoulders. "From the amount of blood and lividity, I say the time of death between two and four AM this morning."

"Two in the morning?" Juvia squatted across from Lisanna and noticed the name tag on the victim. "Adelina Sajovec. What is a museum employee doing here at two in the morning?"

"Maybe it had to do with what's going on over there." Bixlow came from questioning a few employees from the other side of the gallery. "Morning, Sarge and LT."

"Morning. Erza told us about the robbery. What's taken?"

"Fairy Tail?" Gajeel muttered.

"One of Fairy Tail's most priceless relics." Bixlow explained. "It's called, Fairy Law. Our victim was in charge of that section of the gallery. She was also a former Marine and one of the few in charge of securing this exhibit. Especially, Fairy Law. One of her co-workers told me that no one but the night guard was supposed to be there last night. They don't know why Adelina was here last night, only that they left the museum with her an hour after closing."

"What about security cameras?" Gajeel asked.

"Hacked." Cana joined in. "The museum tech told me that the cameras were tapped and replaced by still images of the exhibit. The night guard on duty didn't even notice any strange graining or even known that Adelina was in the building."

"What about the other cameras in the building?" Gajeel mentioned. "Our killer had to get in and out."

"Those were tapped as well." Cana answered. "However, the doors were trigger sensitive. The silent alarm to the surveillance office would have alerted the guard. It hadn't been tampered with or disabled during the time of death window." Cases like this that involved in robbery, Cana was pretty handy as she was an officer in the robbery division before earning her shield and transferred to homicide. "There must be another way for the killer to get in and out."

"Okay," Juvia loomed over the body. "Cana, talk to the robbery and ask if they found anything that we could use. Bixlow, ask around if Adelina had any financial troubles or threats. Someone might have found out that she was a curator here and took advantage of her troubles as an opportunity into the building."

"Sure thing, LT." Bixlow nodded and left the scene, secretly glancing over the occupied medical examiner.

"What else can you tell us, Lis?" Gajeel mused over the body and studying it intently with his blood red eyes. The victim had her black uniform on with her matching hair fanned out into the thick blood. Purplish splotches decorated her arm and particular the wrist and calloused hands, indicating that she put up a fight before she died.

"Bleach residue all over her hands, exposed skin, and neck…" Lisanna pointed her gloved hand at her black and blue neck. "She was strangled first by her assailant. Putting her marine background, she had some fight in her." Lisanna lifted one of her hands and pointed at her fingernails. "Her nails were chipped, bruising in the knuckles, pinky finger was broken. It was possible she scrapped her attacker, but bleach was used and the killer scrapped under her nails."

"Someone who is familiar with forensics or possible hit man." Juvia noted.

"Mercenaries even." Gajeel commented. "Most are trained to cover their tracks. No shell casings. Can we turn the body over?"

"Yeah," Lisanna nodded. Without setting foot into puddle, Gajeel and Juvia helped Lisanna turned the body over with gloved hands. "No tear on the other side."

"Wait." Gajeel squinted at the damp suit jacket on her back. "There! One tear from a bullet."

"This was the initial kill shot. Possibly from a distance?" Juvia pondered. They carefully put her back where she was and Gajeel stood up and stood in front of the body.

"She was probably killed from several feet back." Gajeel looked around. "She goes down. The killer walks closer, stands in front of her, and then pow!" Gajeel pointed his index finger towards the victim with his thumb pointing up in the air. "Seven slugs to the chest. Killer cleans up any trace evidence of the struggle. Takes whatever it was he took and left from where he came in."

"It's as easy as that." Juvia took off her gloves and pulled out her notepad.

"I'll learn more once I bring her back to the lab." Lisanna stood up and handed the ziploc bag written evidence across the top to the Lieutenant.

"Sounds good." Juvia nodded. "I'll contact next of kin. Gajeel, would you take it from here?"

"Yeah," Gajeel scratched his head, still looking at the body. "I'm gonna speak to the witness. Or lack thereof."

"Juvia will never get used to it." Lisanna said to Gajeel. He looked over his shoulder to see Juvia walking away with her phone to her ear.

"She's a big girl." Gajeel took a sip of his coffee. "Let me know if you find anything."

"Yes, sir." Lisanna nodded. Gajeel moved about the gallery, looking for any sign of struggle leading up to the main purpose of his victim's death. Scuff marks from boots were wiped down with bleach, possible trail of blood might have been destroyed, and busted up wall fixings were fixed as accordingly as possible, leading all to the main part of the exhibit; Fairy Law room.

Gajeel walked through the large threshold and was greeted by a patrol officer, swinging his jacket to the side to show his badge, and saw the empty case ahead of them. His detectives, Bixlow and Elfman, were talking to the other employees along with Robbery Detective Bisca Connell. His Captain Erza Scarlett and the 7th precinct Captain Mira Jane Strauss, his former lieutenant, was talking to men in business suits. The owners of the museum possibly. In front of the glass cube, his new detective Cana was studying the empty box with another formal casually dressed officer. Gajeel didn't recognize her from a far. It wasn't until he approached Cana and met the eyes of short haired blunette with golden brown eyes that he could never forget.

* * *

The smell of clay, bleach and blood was giving Levy a headache on top of her already sleep deprived headache. The triple shot coffee she gulped down on their drive over to the museum didn't do anything. At least if she was at her desk, she would be able to focus her lack of energy on paperwork. Now, she was using all the brain and body power trying to keep her knees from caving under her. Levy was lucky for this case. There weren't any witnesses about the robbery, and there weren't any cameras to go by as evidence. Forensics techs are running a sweep of the air ducts above them where the wires run to the cameras. Tapping devices might have been left there along with fingerprints, DNA and other evidence that could lead them to the thieves. Levy knew there wasn't anything left behind. From the looks of things, everything was done professionally.

"Levy!" She turned around to hear the raspy loud whisper of a familiar voice. "Psst! Levy!" Cana quickly waved and slid beside her, standing in front of the empty glass cube.

"Cana!" Levy wrapped one hand around her waist and squeezed tightly. "How are you? And why are you here?"

"It's our case." Cana beamed. "We don't have a robbery unit in our precinct, remember?"

"Right," Levy smiled. "Budget cuts. How's your case? Any leads?"

"Nada," Cana sighed. "We're running a background check on our victim; maybe it'll tell us if she had some money issues or something. And maybe you can give us anything we could use?"

"I see," Levy sighed. "Infrared lasers would have triggered a silent alarm directly connected to dispatch to send the whole calvary. Like the cameras…" Levy stepped over to the power junction under the cube and then pointed at the same looking power junction from across the opening to the wall. "They were tapped too. I'm guessing using one of the wires from the air ducts to this junction." Levy pressed her lips into a line, looking at the junction again and then the other one under display case.

"It's a dual gold-integrated laser junction." Cana commented. "How did it not set off the alarm?"

"Finger prints match the employee Adelina Sajovec, your victim." Levy answered. "She might have disabled it somehow without setting this junction's alarm system off. Unless the lasers were never turned on in the first place. This could be an inside job."

"You think someone else here killed my vic?" Cana asked. "Bonnie and Clyde, but then Clyde got fed up with Bonnie's shit and shot her?" Levy rolled her eyes. She missed Cana very much. The seventh wasn't the same since she left.

"You can say that." Levy snorted. "Although, I think her partner might have used her and decided to silence her in the end."

"We'll figure that part out." Cana averted his attention to the figure walking towards them. "Hey, Sarge. It looks like this might be an inside job." Levy looked away from the junction and noticed an alarming sight approaching them. Her legs ached to move away from her former partner, but it was already too late. His ruby eyes already caught hers.

"I wouldn't doubt a merc job and our vic is their mole in." Gajeel told her. "Juvia is contacting the family."

"Oh!" Cana beamed. "Sarge, let me introduce my former partner and friend from the 7th. Officer Levy McGarden." She held her hand out to present her and Levy immediately straightened up. "Levy, this is my SO, Sergeant Detective Gajeel Redfox." She moved her hand to Gajeel.

"Detective?" Gajeel pointed at her gold badge clipped to her belt. Levy looked down and pulled her suit jacket over it like she was ashamed about his discovery.

"Detective?" Cana pushed Levy's hand aside and Levy rolled her eyes at Cana's no respect for boundaries. "When did you become a detective?"

"Last night," Levy blushed, trying very hard not to make it look like she was embarrassed. "It's not a big deal. It's just a pay grade, that's all. Anyways, is there anything else you need?" Levy fought the urge to look at the nostalgic face staring at her.

"What can you tell us about the missing object?" Gajeel asked her.

"Fairy Law," Levy explained without looking at the sergeant. "Is an artifact from the Establishment war when the Fiore coast was run by pirates and merchant guilds. Fairy Law is a sword used to execute unruly pirates that kill and steal trade from the merchant's guild. After the war, the sword—" She paused and pointed at the picture display nearby the cube. "It was repaired, reforged and was set on display in Yuri Dreyer's mansion until his death. His family donated the sword to the museum."

"So, it's a really fancy sword?" Gajeel commented.

"Not exactly." Levy shook her head. "The sword is quite ordinary. Double-edged, with steel body and a golden hilt. One of the founders, Mavis Vermillion, etched—" She pulled out her phone and swiftly rummaged through the search engine images to load a close up of the sword. "_History of Light shall smite the Darkness._ Anyways, the sword is very plain, however, considering its history it's worth over thirteen billion Jewels."

"Holy shit!" Cana shouted. "You gotta to be kidding me! That sword is worth that much?"

"Yep," Levy smiled. "That's why security is one of the best security systems in the country. That sword is a Fiore precious artifact."

"And some mercs easily took it from said high security." Gajeel added. "Inside job is likely."

"Agreed." Levy nodded. "The tampering of the security junctions takes time."

"Detective Alberona, finish up consulting with robbery and keep contact with them as we catch the killer." Gajeel ordered. "Work with Elfman and establish the outline of the events until we get more info from Lisanna."

"Yes, sir." Cana nodded.

"And congrats, Detective McGarden." Gajeel added before turning away towards his captain. Levy muttered thanks, not expecting that from the sergeant. She only met the sergeant once and it was during that night. It wouldn't surprise her that his abrupt visit and leaving suddenly was to get away from her. Though, he was a sergeant now and he had other detectives to worry about.

"Not bad, huh?" Cana elbowed her, not realizing that Levy was staring at Gajeel the entire time. "How about you and him—"

"Cana, please!" Levy snorted, rolling her eyes. "No." If only she knew what she was to Gajeel, though it didn't bothered her anymore and the circumstances of that night was not his fault. Levy, however, felt like her body was about to burst in a bad way. The sight of him made the blood leave her face, chill settled down her fingers, and the slight ache in her bones from which he beaten her many years ago. If it was any consolation, Levy hid her ache very well with what she knew best; informing them about the object stolen. She didn't give it much thought about collaborating with Gajeel's department. As long as the work kept them busy, what happened back then wouldn't bother them. She hoped, at least, that Gajeel felt the same way.

"I swear," Cana groaned. "The people I work with are married to their job."

"Well, not everyone is dating the—"

"Shh!" Cana slapped her clammy hands over Levy's mouth. "That's a secret!"

"You work in a department full of detectives." Levy whispered. "I wouldn't be surprised if one of them found out already."

"It's called hiding in plain sight." Cana whispered more hushly. "Besides, they already know because Laxus already told them and to keep it a secret."

"Oh?" Levy quirked an eyebrow. Cana wrapped her arm around Levy's shoulder.

"The thing about Captain Erza and the rest of the detectives is that they don't give a shit about our personal lives." Cana's purred close into Levy's ear, making her body stiffen. Very unnecessary closeness between friends. "That's the beauty about that department. They don't give a shit." Levy shrugged her arm off her shoulders.

"Well, that's nice they don't pry." Levy responded. She drifted back to her work, hoping that Cana would do so too. However, Cana kept staring at Levy, reading her like one of her suspects.

"Something's different…" Cana looked closer at the new detective, and Levy shifted her footing to avoid her glare, but her relentless friend wouldn't let up. "It's a guy, isn't?"

And before Levy could deny Cana, Captain Erza asked her detective about the night guards. She gave her conservative report and turned back to Levy.

"Are you busy tonight?" Cana asked.

"Probably with this case, but other than that…"

"Good!" Cana beamed. "Chinese at my precinct?"

"No," Levy shook her head. "How about my place? I'll pick it up on my way home."

"Sounds good, baby blue." She winked and moved along. Levy watched as her long wavy brown hair bounced and swayed as her high heel brown boots clicked against the polished tile. She really missed Cana at her precinct, always cracking jokes and making impressions of their victim and suspects of their idiotic cases. The light of the robbery and the only person who would dare pry Levy from her leisure reading. It was great seeing her again, especially now that she was chasing killers down. Cana could be a handful at times, and Levy wondered how Gajeel and the others are handling her.

* * *

"Thanks," Gajeel said to a museum employee and she walked away wiping her damp eyes. It was yet another crime scene and this time the evidence was lacking and a robbery was involved with their murder victim. He hated cross investigations, especially when it came to a different precinct. The 14th use to have a robbery department, but because of budget cuts, most of them had to transfer to the 7th. Sadly, some were laid off.

"Sergeant." Gajeel turned around to see his captain with the other captain. "You remember Captain Mira Jane Strauss." Erza held her hand up towards the smiling lady.

"How could I not?" Gajeel smiled, and held out his hand. "Captain, great seeing you again."

"Ah! Gajeel…what did I say—" Mira Jane took his hand and squeezed it.

"Mira Jane," Gajeel grinned. When he worked in the gang unit, he was Mira Jane's partner and Lieutenant. Compassion and ruthlessness was what he learned from his former superior officer. It had been five years since he saw her last, and the woman now didn't look like his old SO. Black leather jacket, dark colored skimpy shirts underneath, tight dark washed skinny jeans with ankle high boots, unruly white hair tied into a lazy pony tail, and a sinister scowl that completed her demon look. It was necessary in their crime division back then, but they both moved on from that. It was hard to believe the clean, conservative and sophisticated woman in front of him used to be the Demon Mira Jane. Though, he knew the authoritativeness, compassion and the ruthlessness are still there.

"You look great, Gajeel." Mira Jane smiled. "Once the press gets a hold of the news, they are going to ask lots of questions. If we don't tactfully handle the evidence and the reports, we could have a federal incident."

"Why would federal agents be interested in a sword?" Erza asked.

"Simple," Mira Jane explained. "Fairy Law is a national artifact. Among many others, people pay taxes for the security of such relics. When they find out its missing, the first thing they are going to ask is why was it so easily taken?"

"Rumors would spread." Erza added. "There is a tough budget crisis in the city. Something as expensive as this relic must have a hefty insurance policy."

"Not to mention the gangs and foreign traders are willing to pay whatever to get a hold of Fiore history." Gajeel stroking his chin in thought. "How do you want to handle the press?"

"We'll take care of the press and political stuff" Mira Jane answered. "Just keep your department up to speed and my people will work with you on this case."

"You can count on us." Erza set a firm hand on Mira's shoulder. "We'll find the dagger."

"Sword," Mira Jane smiled. "It's a sword."

"Okay," Erza laughed. "A sword. My people will find the sword."

"Your people?" Mira Jane snorted. "Your job is the dead victim. My people will take care of the sword."

"We can do both." Erza said smugly. "We'll let you know when we find the sword."

"What did you say?" Mira Jane growled, and there was the scowl that haunted Gajeel's past. "Oi! Titania!" She took a step forward and grabbed Erza's shoulder, and Gajeel had this urge to step in between the captains.

What happened next was not a pretty sight to be sure. Both captains were in each other's faces, staring each other down and growling menacing words to one another. Gajeel tried to calm them down without breaking his authority or having them break his neck. He knew all too well how scary both captains could be. Erza was reserved but relentless. Mira Jane was a dormant volcano and you don't know when she'd erupt. Their argument was getting out of hand and now everyone in the exhibit was now staring at them.

"You little shit!" Erza stared at her shoulder, where Mira Jane slightly pushed her with her manicured fingers. She lunged for the smirking demon, almost plowing a fist into her delicate face. Instead, Gajeel grabbed his captain's wrist, ceasing its projection and luckily Elfman was there to restrain his sister.

"Sis, what are you thinking?" Elfman's low voice boomed all over the exhibit.

"Captain," Gajeel dictated. "Mind the insubordination, but I don't think it's a good idea to antagonize them for helping us."

"I mind it very much, Sergeant!" Erza hissed. "Now. Let. Me. Go!" She tugged on her wrist and Gajeel complied into letting go. He looked over to see Elfman releasing his sister, and Mira Jane smiled back; calm as ever. Though, Captain Erza still had her wicked scowl, menacingly glaring at the demon.

Gajeel couldn't believe that he answers to this woman. He understood how Erza became captain, and he would never question her authority. However, right now, the two captains were acting like children playing 'I can do it better than you' sticking their tongues out at each other. And he felt like the teacher, watching over the children from killing each other.

However, in this case, Gajeel couldn't react in time and Erza and Mira Jane ended up swinging one single punch at one another's face.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey guys! Welcome to the sixth chapter of Killing Me Softly! I want to thank you guys for the feedback and the sweet messages about my wedding! I would like to give you back with a new chapter. For those of you who forgot, I'm updating bi-monthly (every other week) for this fic. I will also be participating in Gajevy Love Fest on Tumblr in the second week of August, so be ready for some smut. Until then, enjoy the delicious crime solving duo we love. Enjoy! **

* * *

Chapter Six: Good Luck

"Did you really have to do that?" The frightening voice booming within the Captain's office startled the robbery detectives at the seventh. The tussle at the museum between two captains from two different MMPD precincts ended up on the internet. A few employees at the museum took the opportunity to film said finely dressed detectives pulling each other's hair out while two bulky cops tried to break up the fight only to have them being dragged into the fray. The video became an instant hit and even was shown on Magnolia's five o'clock news. And was even seen by the commissioner. "Do you have any idea what this video is doing to our image? Do you THINK that this department needs something like this right now? We're barely holding on as it is with these budget cuts and merging three precincts robbery departments together."

"Not even Demon Mira Jane could challenge the Deputy Chief." Bisca snorted, holding a phone to her ear and tapping her pen against her legal pad. "I can't believe I missed the fight." Another burst of outrage from the Deputy Chief and their eyes averted to the closed office. Their silhouettes puppeteer their dramatic feud or mostly him scolding her as she stood with her arms crossed, providing scary entertainment for the officers on that floor. The ringing phones and distinct chatter didn't help muffle the sounds coming from the office.

"Check the internet," Levy sighed. Bisca shot her an annoyed glance and shook her head only to have Levy shrug her shoulders. "Everyone did see the fight."

"Well, I would have liked to see it personally." Bisca said to her. Her smile diminished as soon as her attention averted to the voice on the other line of the phone. Her cheery tone became serious when she began to introduce herself formally. Levy returned her focus on the notes she took from the crime scene, though she really wasn't concerned about that. Mostly she was trying to keep her sleep depravity away by keeping her brain working and awake.

"The fourteenth have a reputation, Captain." The door to Mira Jane's office opened and the Deputy Chief continued to scold her. "They have the highest clearance in the entire city. Something like this won't distress them. Laxus's department may have gotten an earful from the commissioner, but it is us that we're getting the heat for it." He upbraided the Captain and stomped away. The tall slicked hair man glanced over at Levy, holding her stare before he disappeared around the corner.

"McGarden!" Levy stiffen at the rarity of her Captain saying her last name. "My office." Her arms were crossed and her face was hard from the verbal beat down she received from her SO. She turned to Bisca who was surprised as she was and shrugged her shoulders. Levy gulped and stood up wryly, checking to see if her gun and badge holstered at her hip, hoping that she wouldn't need it in the office. Whatever the Deputy Chief had said to Mira Jane probably had the Captain all fired up. She hoped that the Captain wouldn't take it out on her.

"You wanted to see me," Levy refrained from calling her by her name and her rank.

"Yes, have a seat." Mira Jane gestured towards the same tangerine colored chair. "I unfortunately have some bad news for you." If her serious demeanor didn't surprise her, it was the tone in which she was delivering the bad news.

"What is it?" Levy sat down. Mira Jane stared at her from behind her desk, hands folded and rested upon the pile of manila folders.

"Because of our cases coinciding with the fourteenth's homicide," Mira Jane explained. "We need one of our own to work with the detectives." She paused, waiting for Levy to say something, though she remained silent. "I argued with the Deputy Chief that we have one of our former officers working with them, however, he believes that sending one of our current detectives over there would be best."

"And you are sending me?" Levy kept her voice still and composed, fighting the sudden dryness that loomed over her scratchy throat.

"The Deputy Chief insisted." Mira Jane quietly sighed. "You use to work with Cana, a rookie, and have a knack of seeing the big picture in order to solve the puzzle. Bisca and the other detectives here will work with you as you work with the fourteenth."

"Sir—I mean, Mira," Levy cleared her throat. She adjusted herself, sitting up straight and crossed her legs. "I don't mean to question the Deputy's orders, but I feel it would be best to send someone better."

"You are better." Mira Jane cracked her first smile since the museum incident. "I question many things about the DC, but never about his judgment on you. He made you detective for a reason and I see those reasons as clear as day. You have a keen eye and you're skills would be needed for this case."

_If you only knew,_ Levy thought.

"I appreciate the confidence."

"And you should embrace it."

"Yes, sir."

"So!" Mira Jane leaned back. "I am sure that Captain Scarlet has been informed about your arrival tomorrow. You will report for their debrief at eight in the morning."

"Okay," Levy nodded. "Is there anything else you would like to tell me? I would like to gather my notes for tomorrows debrief."

"Talk to Bisca and the other detectives on what else they have found and also inform them what you have learned about the victim relating to Fairy Law." She told her. "And keep me in the loop as well."

"Understood." Levy nodded once more and stood up. "Will that be all?"

"Yes," Mira Jane grinned. "And thank you, Levy." Levy smiled back and left the office. She didn't relax once she made it to her desk, and was happy to see Bisca still on the phone. The news of her temporary transfer hadn't sunk in yet, blaming her caffeine induce haze for delaying the reaction. What really bothered her was that the Deputy Chief wanted her to work with the other precinct. It wasn't her job. Her job was to sit at her desk and file papers. That was all.

"Turns out that one of the security guards," Bisca started to brief her on the long conversation with the museum curator, but to only find Levy's desk cleared of paper work, her purse was gone and found Levy disappearing around the corner.

* * *

The smell of terrible stale Chinese food greeted Levy once she roughly turned the heavy door to the Deputy Chief's office unannounced. Gildarts Clive was on the phone with someone when she came through, startled by the unexpected visit of one of his new detectives. His light brown hair was slicked back in the mix of hair balm and natural oils. Eyes streaked with lines along the edges, though not drooping as if he was tired of his job. The same shade of brown of his hair mirrored the brown in his deep set eyes, showing the extent of his wisdom and passion of his job. Streaks of white appeared at just the right lighting within his auburn hair and peppered along the darkness in his patchy beard. Even though the years had slowly taken his youth, he still had the same grin Levy knew since her teenage years.

"Levy," Gildarts set the phone down and his eyes looked once over at Levy. "Please! Come in!" He said sarcastically. "I wasn't on an important phone call."

"I did what I had to do," Levy didn't waste time. Bold with her tired state. "Why did you order me to go shadow the fourteenth?" Her bite startled Gildarts, possibly that she never raised her voice in front of him before, and she never questioned his orders. "You told me when the job is done, I am through."

"It's not done." Gildarts raised his hand to cease Levy from her odd insubordination. "What those two did last night and you assisting them are just the beginning."

"The beginning?" She crossed her arms, shifting her stance to her other leg.

"You weren't supposed to be there last night." Gildarts explained. "Your job was to meet them after the job was done. That was it. But, that happened and you were needed."

"And what am I supposed to be doing?" She asked, nervously tapping her index finger against her crossed arms. "Make sure the fourteenth doesn't find dirt on us?"

"Yes and other things." Gildarts answered. "It's just a precaution, but we want to monitor their activity. Captain Scarlet and her team have many connections to inquire information. I would like you to find out who those connections are."

"In relevance to what?" Levy questioned. "What does their connection have to do with us?" Gildarts panned the young detective a dubious look.

"That is not our concern." Gildarts proclaimed. "_He _wants the information and he wants you to retrieve it. And to keep your eye on them." It was obvious that the fourteenth was in charge of solving the murder and would be in their favor if she went over there to see what they have uncovered. It was also the fact that the detectives in their homicide department were well known for their high case closure rating in the entire city. To have them uncover something that they've missed would be problematic. Though, Levy felt as if there was also more to it than the obvious.

"Okay, but what does this have to do with Fairy Law?" Levy pried further. "I couldn't find any legitimate documents on Fairy Law, only ones pertaining the historical aspects."

"You don't need to know."

"But it is—"

"Details," Gildarts waved his hand absentmindedly. "You know how the boss is really into details."

"Right," Levy nodded. Gildarts studied her for a few seconds and exhaled heavily at the grievance of her unlikely to question her orders.

"Look," Gildarts said to her. "I know you've been doing this for a long time. And you got comfortable the last year as a desk clerk. If this goes smoothly, then you would have served your sentence."

_You mean my father's sentence._ She mentally rolled her eyes.

"Okay," She sighed, surrendering to the chief. "What can you tell me about the homicide detectives at the fourteenth?"

"They're an eclectic group hailing from different precincts." Gildarts began, leaning back against his leather chair. "What brings them success is their connections to many fields throughout Magnolia. Either it's from the lowliest gutter rat or a gold coast debutante, they have eyes and ears everywhere. They also have the advantage of having their Deputy Chief as the grandson of the Commissioner. But, I know Laxus long enough to know he doesn't like to rely on his family name. It is rare for him to ask a favor from his grandfather."

"Aside from Cana, what can you tell me about the other detectives?" Levy asked. Gildarts stroked the stubble of his jaw, not hiding the annoyance he had for the new detective. Her persistence was understandable, but a waste of his time.

"How familiar are you with the Phantom Lord Case?" Gildarts asked her. How could she not know about it? It was a case that defined the fourteenth status.

"Who doesn't?" Levy shrugged.

"My job is done." Gildarts grinned. "Now do yours." Levy didn't smile only tightening her crossed arms. "You get to see Cana again! You should be happy about that."

"Thrilled." Levy turned to the door not wanting to hear whatever he has to say about their former co-worker.

"And Levy." Gildarts stopped her when she grabbed the door handle. "Once _he_ has what he wants, then it'll be all over. Just a little bit longer, okay?"

She did not respond only a small nod and left the room. Levy didn't want to go back to work. Her body was tired, head reeling from the lack of caffeine and sleep. The stale pungent smell of egg foo young and chow mein somehow managed to wet her appetite for it, but for the good kind and not that disgusting eats he had in the office.

"Just a little bit longer." Levy sighed to herself, driving back home where she wanted to finish reading her book that she couldn't read last night or during her break. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach now and again about how different tomorrow was going to be. It scared her; she wasn't going to lie about that. Cana was going to be there, but that still didn't reassure her in the slightest.

"Levy!" A woman standing behind the hostess podium shouted when she entered the Eastern Dragon Chinese Restaurant. "How are you?"

"Good," She lied for their sakes. "I just got off work. Can I get my usual, please?"

"Sure thing." The woman nodded. "And we're having a special raffle. If you draw from the fishbowl, you can get a discount plus your fortune." She pointed to the glass bowl in front of her, filled with pastel envelopes. "For you, you can draw two." She winked and Levy nodded. The woman scurried to the back to put her order in and Levy could hear her say her name along with whatever it was in Chinese following it.

Levy eyed the fish bowl and gave a side glance to her left and right before she reached gingerly into it. Her fingers snatched two small envelopes, rubbing against each other, and Levy picked open the flap and slid out her two fortune tickets. Two ten percent off coupons graced the other side and on the other laid her fortunes written in gold lettering.

_A person will make a turn in your life._

Levy reread the fortune again. That could not be any truer considering that dead body had her transfer to the fourteenth. She slipped that fortune behind the second slip and read it, though there wasn't much to read.

_Good Luck._

Was all it was written on her slip.

* * *

"You got more of that pork?" Bixlow pointed his chopsticks at Elfman's Chinese food box. "I'll trade ya two of my spring rolls for—"

"No." Elfman took a hefty bite. They were in the break room, take out spread across the largest table and files and tablets on their laps as they ate their fill of greasy goodness. Juvia was the only one facing the murder board, a dry erase board scribbled with facts and pictures of their case, while she held a take-out box of orange chicken.

"Lisanna won't have the autopsy till mornin', and we're waitin' for Adelina's financial." Gajeel munched. "I think we should call it a night." A sigh left Juvia while she stabbed the chicken with her chopsticks, still staring at the board.

"Juvia wants to make sure we got everything." Her dark eyes went over to the ghost picture of a bloodied corpse at the center of the board. "She's a mom and a veteran. Did two tours in Iraq." Juvia told him. "Contacted the veteran's office, but only left a message."

"I'll ask Salamander." Gajeel already knew where she was going with it. "You haven't slept yet. Go home."

"Juvia isn't—" Juvia was interrupted by Gajeel grabbing her shoulder, taking her gaze away from the board.

"Go. Home. LT." Gajeel ordered, squeezing her shoulder. "We'll call when somethings up."

"You should go home too, Sarge." Bixlow said to them. "We'll be here because of Lisanna. I'll call you once she has something."

"And I'll be here because of Octavius Carl." Elfman grinned. "Also keeping an eye on lover boy here."

"You don't scare me," Bixlow bellowed, followed by dodging Elfman's hand coming from behind to smack him at the back of his head.

"Your mouth will be the death of you, Bixs." Cana laughed, heels clicking against the worn tiled floor. "I have alibis for all the employees who have access to the museum." She handed the hardcopy to Gajeel and everyone else checked their tablets. "Most of them checked out, but you might want to double check a few."

"Thanks, Cana." Juvia smiled, scanning the file on her screen. "Make sure you debrief our new addition when you see her tonight."

"Will do, LT!" Cana saluted and snatched a spring roll from Bixlow's box.

"Wait, what new addition?" Elfman and Bixlow said at the same time with mouths full of food. Cana inhaled the egg roll and pointed at Juvia for answers, ceasing her from saying anything more.

"Captain Erza told me we have someone from the seventh joining our investigation." Juvia explained, finally turning around to face them and the food. She set down her orange chicken and grabbed the box of green beans in front of Gajeel. Bixlow tried to reach for her box, but Gajeel beat him to it, slapping his hand with the tip of his chopsticks. "After what happened between the two captains, the DC of both precincts decided to do a peaceful joint investigation by sending one of their own over here. She'll be our rally Detective between two precincts." She begun to munch on the green vegetables smothered in delicious grease.

"She?" Elfman wondered.

"You met her today. Robbery Detective Levy McGarden." Cana said proudly. "She was my partner when we worked in vice and she transferred to Robbery when I was promoted to Detective." Cana lowered her eyes to the bounty of food within her reach, but she refrained knowing that better food waits at Levy's. "Hey, Sarge. You okay?" She noticed Gajeel was staring blankly into space with his roast pork in his hands.

"Yeah," Gajeel cleared his throat. "I think I'm headin' out too." He set the white carton down and pointed it to Elfman and Bixlow, which Elfman didn't hesitate in taking it for himself. "I'll walk you out. Juvia?"

"Soon." She smiled. "Good night."

"Night." Gajeel grabbed his leather jacket and followed Cana out. They made it to the elevator and once the door closed, Cana stepped in front of Gajeel, crossed her arms and glared at him with the most threatening stare.

"I know what you did to her." Cana spoke with an attitude that reflected her stance.

"To who?" Gajeel didn't change his plain expression, unfazed by her glare. "I don't know what yer talkin' about."

"2008 Police Academy Hazing gone too far." Cana explained. "The courthouse incident." Gajeel's eyes flinched.

"So?" Gajeel said to her. "That was seven years ago. I ain't the same guy."

"And she ain't the same girl." Cana gritted her teeth. "If you ever think of messing with Levy."

"I won't," Gajeel sighed. "We have a job to do. As long as she does her job, there won't be a problem."

"There won't be." Cana shifted her weight to one hip.

"Good." Gajeel leaned in and glared back at her. The elevator door clicked opened, arriving at the empty station lobby. "I respect your loyalty to your friend, but you better do your job, Detective." He stepped around her and said one last time, "Know your place."

"As long as you know yours." Cana mocked.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: HELLO OUT THERE! IS ANYONE STILL HERE?! I am terribly sorry for the long update. I hope you guys are doing well. I have another chapter, a long one in fact that I had to split it into two chapters. Give me a couple of days to upload the next chapter. We have an info dump chapter about the case, of course. A crime au isn't a crime au without a case, right? Anyways, I won't keep you long. Here is the new chapter! Enjoy! **

* * *

Chapter Seven: Crosshairs

"_Know your place." _

"_As long as you know yours." _

Gajeel marched out of the elevator, like it was any other day, but today was going to be different when someone from another department was going to join his investigation. Which he should be use to by now, considering he had a consultant as a partner for his first year as a detective. However, this _someone_ was different…

"Hey, Sarge!" Bixlow joined him on their short walk to their desks. "Lis has something for you." It took Gajeel a while to realize he was on the phone with her. "It's something to do with ballistics." Gajeel eyed him for a second before he held out his hand for the phone. "—you wouldn't believe it."

"Gajeel?" Lisanna's voice came out the other line as he put the greasy phone to his ear. "I ran ballistics and it's from an unregistered handgun. However, I ran them again this morning when Evergreen and the victim's ballistic reports came in…"

"And may I ask why you were lookin' into that?" Gajeel shot a glare at Bixlow, a very good friend of Evergreen.

"Sorry," Lisanna's voice went ridged. "I was just—"

"It's fine." Gajeel sighed, rubbing his neck with his hand. "Just make sure Laxus knows before we're questioned about it."

"Okay," Lisanna continued. "Well, the stippling from Evergreen's injures plus the victim's from the courthouse match Adelina's stippling, and the tattooing left on each of their entry wounds—partial fragments also match the bullets from our victim. A .45 caliber to be exact. Even have no prints on either one as well." Gajeel's eyes went wide and stared at a beaming Bixlow, crossing his arms proudly at the news she'd discovered. "Gajeel, I think they are caused by the same weapon."

"Yeah," Gajeel pulled out the rarely used tablet from the locked drawer in his desk. "E-mail the report to me and I'll make note at the briefing. There is no way two different unregistered guns could have made those alike markings and fragments on two different events."

"Right," Lisanna said, though something in her voice was telling him there was so much more.

"Elfman," Gajeel turned to him, who just arrived at his desk. "I need you to contact the Second and ask for the gun confiscated by Nakamura. Ask if it is still in evidence."

"Yes, sir." Elfman set his bag down and grabbed his phone.

"Is there anything else, Lis?" Gajeel asked her, wanting to know what else she had to say.

"The thing is…" She chuckled quietly, though she wasn't sure of herself about the information, acting like her old timid self. "I checked and double checked to make sure I wasn't wrong…the initial kill shot wasn't caused by gunfire." She paused, but Gajeel let her continue. "Yes, seven GSW to the chest, but after a thorough breakdown, its six GSW to the chest and a stab wound."

"She was stabbed?"

"Yes, in the back, massive hemorrhaging until death." Lisanna informed him. "The gunshots were done post mortem."

"How long after?"

"I'll send you the report," Lisanna said. "But, 30 min to an hour after she died."

"Sarge," Bixlow pointed to the briefing room and then his watch.

"Send it now," Gajeel said. "Bixlow and I will meet you after the briefing."

"Yes, sir." Lisanna replied and the line went dead. Gajeel quickly gave back the phone, glimpsing at the clock on the screen; 7:59 AM.

"We gotta go." Bixlow grabbed his notes and tablet too and headed to the room. "Can you believe the report?"

"It's too soon to say," Gajeel shrugged his shoulders. "We don't know until we hear back from the Second."

"Yeah, but if it is tied to the courthouse shooting that means we get jurisdiction back, right?" Bixlow pointed it out. Gajeel grunted in a maybe, but right now they have to present what they have so far. There was only a small window to solve a homicide and time was everyone's enemy. Including the murderer.

"Where the hell is Cana!?" Erza slammed the door to the briefing room, scanning her eyes at each of her detectives working on this case. "—our robbery detective isn't here either." She gritted her teeth, and turned to the board. "We'll get started without them." Her flowing red hair was kept in a high ponytail showcasing her model like high cheekbones and her large dark eyes looking at the dry erase board. "Where are we at with the autopsy?"

"Lis found something," Bixlow looked at Gajeel, and he gave him permission to announce it. "We might have a breakthrough in the case, connecting this case with another ongoing one—" As he explained to their team, Juvia was staring at him on the other side of the room, averting her eyes and nudging her chin towards the door. Gajeel glanced over beside him where Bixlow stood and what Juvia was trying to tell him appeared at the large window beside the heavy door.

"Sorry," Cana said meekly, knowing the devastating glare coming from Erza. A woman shorter than Cana followed her into the room and smiled at everyone, though her smile turn into a hesitant grin towards Gajeel.

"I have the clerks at the Second give me a call when they inquire information on the firearm." Elfman informed them.

"No," Erza shook her head. "You have business with your case, I'd like you to personally find out if they have it or not. I want every incentive to be in our favor." Erza looked over the board. "Juvia, I want you to cross reference with the employees and their alibis. I also want you and Bixlow to look into financials on them and what kind of relationship they have with Adelina."

"Yes, sir." Juvia nodded. Erza took one look at the board and then turned to the late arrivals, especially the temporary teammate.

"You're late." She said meticulously looking at Cana.

"Sorry, sir." Cana laughed guiltily. "Traffic."

"Right," Erza narrowed her eyes. "Detective McGarden!"

"Sir," Levy gulped, straightening up.

"Welcome to the team," She greeted her with a smile. "We're counting you to help us find the murderer."

"Thank you," Levy nodded. "I'm glad to help, and thankful for your cooperation with my department."

"What do we have in regards to the robbery?" Erza cut to the punch and immediately went business with Levy. She stumbled with her yellow notepad and opened up to the second page.

"As far as the robbery goes," Levy licked her finger tips and turned the page once more. "It has an authorization index where the alarm is disabled by two sets of keys. The first junction and the second junction are on opposite side of each other and it's impossible for Adelina to work alone."

"So whoever was working with Adelina possibly killed her." Juvia made note. "The problem is who? The crime scene was wiped clean. Not even Adelina's prints were found."

"And cameras were disabled." Cana added.

"Err," Levy hesitantly looked at Cana. "Not necessarily." Everyone looked at Levy, waiting for her to go on with her statement. "From the museum log books and insurance policies, Bisca had uncovered that the city budget for the museum has gone down and maintenance for security has also decreased in funding. They'll check systems almost on a monthly basis, now it's quarterly according to their most recent policy."

"When was the last maintenance report filed?" Gajeel asked. Levy looked at him briefly before she continued, fumbling through her notes.

"Six months ago?" Levy narrowed her eyes. "That can't be right…" She reread her notes and shook her head. "The last maintenance check was supposed to be May, but for some reason the insurance company canceled it. Before that was February."

"Can you verify it with the insurance company again?" Erza asked her. "Also, could you find out who authorize the cancellation?"

"Yes, sir." Levy nodded. "I'll do that right away." She scribbled in her notes.

"Before that though," Erza held up her hand. "I was looking at your file and you were a desk officer for almost a year. Because of that, you haven't re-qualified to use your service weapon given to you by the City of Magnolia." Levy's face heat up in embarrassment. "Sergeant."

"Sir," Gajeel said firmly, but unmoved from his cross armed position.

"You are going to re-qualify her and after that, I want you two to talk to Adelina's family and the veteran's offices. There might be something connecting her personal and old life with the robbery and her murder." Erza ordered them. Cana stiffens next to Levy and was going to step forward to say something, but Gajeel answered before she could piss off the captain.

"Yes, sir." Gajeel said in the same affirmative tone. He glanced over to Levy, who was staring at him with nervous eyes. She pulled her gaze away once she was caught. A warning glare settled down between Cana and Gajeel, protective of her friend, but Gajeel nodded slightly to reassure her that everything was fine.

The young Detective didn't by it.

"Cana," Erza noticed their little stare down. "You'll go to Lisanna and get the full report and cross reference our victim's injuries with a previous case. It would seem that our beloved ME is doing more than she's supposed to. The killer who worked with Adelina might have an MO."

"You got it, Cap." Cana gave her a lazy salute only receiving a frightening glare from the Captain.

"You're all dismissed." Erza addressed them. "Gajeel, before you go—can I have a word with you?" Gajeel looked over to Cana and Levy and nodded them to go ahead without him. Cana gave him a disgusted snort before she led Levy out of the briefing room. This little meeting might be about his partnership with Levy and he dreaded for the Captain to open a book that didn't need to open.

"Have you spoken to Lucy lately?" Erza asked him as soon as the door closed. Gajeel turned to the Captain, leaning against the edge of the table with her arms crossed. He wasn't expecting that from the Captain, especially about the Bunny Girl.

"Tch," Gajeel relaxed, casually mocking her stance. Relief lifted from Gajeel's shoulders, she wasn't going to ask him about the hazing, though she doubts she'd remember something like that. "Busy writing some stupid story about me or Flame Brain or that new one based off of the old D.C." He paused, realizing he brought up a forbidden topic to the Captain, but he knew her persistence. "Is it about Jellal?"

"No," She lied, tapping her fingers against her crossed arms. Gajeel knew that was her tell. A terrible poker face. "I want to know if she's busy."

"Like I'd know about it," Gajeel snorted. "Book tours and writing. Lame wedding to plan…"

"I see," Erza looked down at the tile floor and pushed herself from the desk. "Thanks, Gajeel…you can go now." Her cold dark eyes didn't change, didn't waiver, and he was wrong to think she didn't have a good poker face, because she was unmoved from his lack of answers. Gajeel nodded and headed towards the door. When he reached the metal handle, he looked over his shoulder to see Erza looking at the murder board.

"Y'know," He cleared his throat. "She always answers her phone. Always. She hates to leave it to voicemail unless it's her hell hound publisher. If yer curious about Jellal—"

"That'll be all, Sergeant." Erza said sternly, straightening her back without prying her eyes from the gleaming board. Gajeel shook his head and turned the knob, but just before stepping though, "—and thank you." She said to him with a small grin.

* * *

"Let's get this over with." Gajeel muttered, pushing the heavy metal door to the lower training rooms in the basement of the precinct. Levy flinched when the different snaps of a gun cut through the muggy air. The gym and sparring rooms were across the corridor leading into the shooting range. She eyed the punching bag on the other side of the glass until she crashed into Gajeel's back. It felt like she just ran into a brick wall.

"Sorry!" Levy caught her breath, recovering from the wind knocking out of her.

"Jeez, watch where yer going!" Gajeel growled and typed in a series of numbers into the locked keypad. 42354. The red light turned green and they immediately walked into the range. Seven stalls with cameras in them and behind mounted on the wall, showcasing a steady red light indicating they were being watched. Three of the seven stalls were occupied, where the officers were emptying their rounds into the paper target at the far end. Blue headphones adorned the shooters' head, protecting their ears from the miniature explosions from their weapon. Every step Levy took and every nerve racking pop through metal tubbing made her subcompact pistol heavier and heavier.

"Set up and empty yer rounds in each quadrant—" Gajeel flipped the switch on the slender work table in front of them and the paper dummy went flying to the far end of the wall. "—we got lots of work to do." Levy slipped on the clear shooting glasses and her headphones.

"Yes, sir." Levy reached behind her to the holstered weapon. It had been almost an entire year since she let her Glock out in the open.

"Glock 26." Gajeel noted. "Y'don't see them often on the field."

"Well," Levy sighed, flipping off the safety and checking the magazine once over. "I was never on the field to begin with. I traded my Smith &amp; Wesson when I transferred to Robbery."

"Semi?"

"Yeah," Levy nodded. "Never liked it anyway. Glock 21 and 26 are a better feel." She looked up at Gajeel, leaning against the cubicle with headphones on and shooting glasses. One of the ear pieces were not in place, exposing one of his ears. His arms were crossed with his long sleeves rolled up. "You have a problem with smaller guns?" She took her stance, shoulder width apart.

"Nah," Gajeel said and then Levy took her first fire. Almost dropping her gun after the kickback. "Subcompacts are practical. Glock 26 is light and small without the sacrifice to power and accuracy." He adjusted his footing and pulled up one of his denim clad pant leg just enough to reveal the same gun secretly strapped to his ankle. Levy nodded and looked back down the barrel to line her shot at the ten ring; dead center.

_Bang. _

Edge seven ring.

"Fudge." Levy hissed. She readjusted herself and looked down the barrel again, keeping her right eye open and her left eye closed. Her grip around the gun tightens and her left hand steadied her right as she lined her shot, breathing in and out steadily. The handbook rules of firearms came crashing into her mind, remembering almost word for word about proper gun control, and applying it to her next shot. It felt like seconds to Levy, but she could hear the frustration in Gajeel's breathing that she was taking way too much time with this.

_Bang!_

White paper.

Her lips thinned into a line, embarrassed and angry at the fact she couldn't even get it in the seven ring. Levy apparently was rusty after sitting at her desk for a year, though to be fair, she never liked shooting guns and was mediocre at best when she used it. This though was by far worse than she could imagine.

"Here," Gajeel startled her when he nudged her left leg forward. "Square off your target." He was behind her now and as much as Levy wanted to get away, she couldn't. The width of his body took up most of the space. "Arms and hands are good, but loosen up." He tapped his finger on her right forearm, and she followed his advice. "Eyes down the barrel…" She did, staring down at the silhouette. "…both open." His voice low and resolute. Earthy spring encompass her senses, musky and natural, mixing in with the faint smell of leather—Levy focused on her target, trying to get this out of her mind. "Inhale deep, exhale and—"

_Bang! _

In the ten ring. Dead center.

"Oh my!" Levy beamed, craning her head back and slamming it against Gajeel's sternum. "Ow!"

"Jeez, Shrimp." Gajeel tsked, stepping back and settling himself against the wall. "Watch yerself."

"Excuse me, Sergeant?" Levy glared at him. "What did you call me?"

"Yer short, Shorty." Gajeel shrugged his shoulders. "Just like a shrimp. Now, empty yer gun and let's get going." Levy gave him a once over with her honey eyes, studying the giant brute. That face, and those deep set eyes haunted her dreams since their fateful encounter. Though, in time she learned to forget those nightmares and move on with her life. Move on to what she needed to do. Right now, her nightmares were coming back, but this time she was going to face them.

"Sergeant." Levy cleared her throat, and took her stance again. Just how Gajeel showed her. "You have quite the rap sheet." Levy lined her shot and pulled the trigger.

"You questioning your superior?" Gajeel asked, almost threatening. Her stomach leapt to her throat, feeling the regret bubbling in her chest, but she needed to face it. How was she going to work with Gajeel and get him to tell her anything if she doesn't prove she can be one of them?

"My S.O. is Mira Jane." She included her Captain. Only naturally as she hated titles. "And I'm a detective. Superior or not, every questions is vital to a case."

"And questionin' my past is one?"

"So is your lunch order." Levy pulled the trigger. "I was told by Mira Jane to work with the fourteenth, and I like to know who I am working with. Yours in particular caught my attention."

"Is it because of _that_ night?" Gajeel beat her to the punch. "I have served my sentence, Shorty. You don't need to rub it in." That caught her off guard, hearing about serving a sentence.

"I'm not trying to do anything like that." Levy pulled the trigger twice. "And what happened between us that night is over and done with. I have nothing to hold against you." He stared at her, imploring if it was true, eyes narrowing as if she was a suspect in question. "Though, I am curious." Levy lined her shot once again. "How did a cop like you shoot all those fellow officers and people during the Phantom Lord Case, and somehow all of them lived?" She pulled the trigger one last time and finally got it in the center ring.

"I just showed you," Gajeel answered. "Yer eyes and yer gun are one. Trust your gut, Shrimp and it'll get ya far. Now c'mon, we got to visit the morgue."

"But, the Captain said—"

"She didn't assign anyone to the morgue." Gajeel said to her. "Let's go." Levy reloaded her gun, and holstered it back into her belt. Goggles and headphones tossed aside and tried to catch up to Gajeel before he walked through the door. She felt slightly disappointed in her small questioning of the dashing sergeant. That night didn't do Gajeel justice. His chiseled cheekbones and jawline, long thick and wild black hair cascading down his back swishing against his distressed dark brown leather jacket, framing the broadness of his back and long muscular legs clad in dark denim stride down the narrow hallway. For one thing that hadn't change was the stupid scowl on his face. If only if he cracked a smile.

The trek to the morgue didn't take long since they were in the lower floors of the precinct. The stuffy mix of iron and sweat was replaced by the sterile chemicals and embalming fluid. The temperature also dropped, where Levy was smoldering in her blouse, cloth sticking to her skin back in the shooting range. Now a drastic chill ran through her being, goosebumps brushed lightly against her shirt, wishing she had worn her blazer to work. She followed Gajeel down the narrow hallway and the foot traffic in these halls reduces down to a janitor and them. One more turn down another hallway and suddenly Levy stopped.

The Morgue. The lettering greeted them above the secure double doors in black, and beyond those doors was a memory she would never forget. The police officer escorting her down this hall, the abrupt chill pulling her into the inevitable truth that no happiness could ever leave this place.

Only death.

"Shorty," Levy shook from her thoughts and looked at Gajeel. She was a few paces back, clenching on to her leather bound notepad in her arms. "Y'okay?" He noticed she was trembling and her eyes were in a daze.

"I'm fine." She lied, clearing her throat, and continuing their trek down the hall. The click of her heels against the laminate tile, assuring him with every confident stride that she was okay, however, her triple shot pumpkin latte churned uncomfortably in her stomach. Not because of the dead that reside within their temporary hold, but because of the memory it ignited.

They pushed open the doors leading them down another hallway. Levy looked over to a window showcasing a room with a wall of stainless steel and eight square fridge like doors lined up in a grid like pattern. A doctor and a family stood around a body cloaked in a plain white sheet. The doctor lifted the sheet just enough to show the ashen, mannequin like face to the family. Almost immediately, the family huddled together in a comforting embraced, pouring out the inevitable storm of tears, and the doctor pulled the sheet back over the body's face.

"_I'm sorry for your loss."_ The voice was clear as day, rehearsed and almost non-sympathetic. The flicker of her father's face flashed behind her eyelids.

"You can wait here." Gajeel said to her, hands on the door handle to a specific lab. Levy craned her head over his arm to take a peek through the small window. A small woman with short white hair was hunched over a body, back facing the window as she inspected the pale gleam body.

"No, I can go in." She steeled herself and straightened her back. The look he gave her was alarming to her. Were those fierce red eyes concerned for her? She hated that look, but he didn't need to know it. "She might have a lead on the robbery." He didn't say anything else and opened the door. The young doctor wasn't alone.

"Hey, Sarge!" Bixlow pushed himself off the wall next to the door. "Levy." He nodded at her. "Or do you prefer McGarden? Detective?" He asked Levy who was alarmed as Gajeel was to see him down here.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Gajeel spat. "I thought you were with Elfman?" Bixlow's auburn eyes went back to Levy and then his Sergeant.

"Elfman went to the second as ordered, and I'm waiting on financial statements to come through so I can see who she had her dealings with and question them when Elfman gets back." Bixlow paused, shifting his weight to his other foot. "I came down here with Cana who needs the information to do her part."

"Detective Jay Bixlow," The Doctor turned around from the body and lifted the magnifying scope piece from her head. "Some of us have actual work to do. If you don't mind Sergeant, maybe you can instruct the young detective to a different assignment until his inquires have contact him." Levy gave her a once over from head to toe. She was not much taller than her, though Levy was wearing small heels and she was not. Her bright blue eyes reminded her of her Captain and the alikeness of color in their skin and hair was too good to be true, though her hair was much shorter and styled in a pixie cut. She remembered that Elfman was the Captain's brother, though she couldn't recall a sister. "Don't look at me like that, Bix! I'll see you tonight." Bixlow licked his lips and stared at blue eyed beauty. For a place so dismal with death and sadness lingered in the sterile room, she was remarkably charming with blue eyes bright as the ocean and a smile reflecting the warm sun. How did someone like her work at a place like this?

"Go to the Veteran's Offices and talk to the Job Recruitment manager about Adelina's dealings with them. It might have something to do with her financial." Gajeel ordered him. "And if I catch you back here again instead of solving this damn case, I'm gonna—"

"Truce! Truce!" Bixlow held up his hands in surrender and laughed. "Please don't tell the captain. I don't wanna end up like Elfman!" That was a story Levy wanted to know. From the way they looked at each other and how casually they spoke, it would seem that the doctor and detective have a relationship.

"Get going," Gajeel hissed, pointing at the door, and Bixlow gave one last look to the doctor.

"See ya tonight." He nodded. "Oh Levy, don't worry about giving Gajeel a hard time." He laughed. "The only person capable of doing that is Bunny Girl." He roared, laughing and patting the Sergeant on the shoulder.

"Bunny Girl?" She flashed a curious glance at him.

"My old partner." Gajeel clicked his tongue and slapped a heavy hand on Bixlow's shoulder. "Get goin' before I do tell the Captain."

"Truce again!" Bixlow chuckled. "I keep you posted." He did as he was told and the tall slender man left the room, suddenly feeling very quiet and cold.

"You must be Detective Levy McGarden from the Seventh Precinct?" The young doctor pulled away at her rubber gloves and threw them in the bright red bio-hazard bin beside the steel slab. "I'm Lisanna Strauss or Doctor Strauss if you want to be technical. My sister, Mira Jane, has told me so much about you." The pearly smile and her cute voice definitely reflected her sister. Levy wondered though if she shared the vintage Mira Jane personality as well.

"Pleasure," Levy shook her hand and felt the powder residue from the gloves on her pale hands, rendering her skin quiet dry. "I wish I could say the same as she doesn't talk about her family during work."

"Naturally," Lisanna smiled. "A habit during her days of undercover. Gajeel and most from the old gang unit keep to themselves." In a sense, Levy understood very well. A little bit too well.

"Jeez," Gajeel groaned in frustration. Too bad he had to waste time re-qualifying her right to bear arms, and now creating small talk right next to their victim was testing his patience. "Lis, the body?"

"Right!" Lisanna clapped her hands and turned around to grab a new pair of bright blue latex gloves. "You wouldn't believe what I found!"

"You found something else?" Gajeel came closer to the table while she made her trek around the other side. Levy gulped at the body, studying how drastically the color of Adelina's skin paled under the bright concentrated white light from the lamp above. The white cloth lay across her body, only having her face and her feet peeking out. Purple splotches were strewn across her entire body. Remnants of her last and final moments alive before she was killed.

"Other than that report I sent you this morning," Lisanna slid a large magnifying glass with a bright blue LED light and pulled it close enough to one of the wounds. "I think I have some Intel on your suspects." Gajeel didn't say anything and let her continue. "I believe Adelina was killed by at least two people." She moved the magnifying glass up from the cleaned wound to the bruising in her neck. "I wasn't able to get any fingerprints thanks to the bleach our killer cleaned her with, though I was able to identify that the person who began to choke her was around six feet tall and male due to size of the bruising and force of the lactic acid in her neck muscles." She paused and shifted the body towards her, turning her body so that her black splotched back faced them. Levy looked away briefly and returned to the seven exit wounds clotted with black blood. Her eyes specifically narrowed in on the largest fissure at the center of her back; left of her spine.

"You got to be kidding me." Gajeel said, looking closely at the knife wound. "It's like clean through and then her skin was torn."

"Nice eye, Detective." Lisanna smiled and flashed her ocean blue eyes at her, noticing Levy becoming very uncomfortable. "Are you okay?" She asked her and Levy stepped back and shook her head. The cold sweat forming on her forehead and unbelievable chill that ran down her entire body made her feel a little shaky. And being confide in a dismal place wasn't helping at all.

"I'm fine," Levy cleared her throat. "I'm just gonna stand hear and listen. The body has nothing to do with my case." Her heels clicked on the tile and she leaned against the wall, watching the two of them hover over the body.

"What makes you think it's more than one killer?" Gajeel continued. Lisanna pulled the glass as close as she could get and then pulled the fissure apart with her two fingers, showing Gajeel the torn muscle inside the wound. "Clean and then a pull on skin and muscle at an upward angle?"

"My theory." Lisanna readjusted her fingers to get a good angle. "While Adelina was pre-occupied with the first assailant, a second one stabbed her. From the location and depth of the wound, I say—" She paused and released her hold, retrieving a Manila folder of freshly printed photos and a floor diagram of the museum wing. "—she was stabbed about twelve feet away by someone who's around 5'4" or 5'5" with a wicked throw, causing it to tear through the skin and muscle without pull."

"How's that possible?" Levy asked her. The two of them looked over at her. "The only way is for the knife to be thrown."

"Yes," Lisanna smiled, shrugging her shoulders meekly. "The knife was thrown, but when it stabbed her, it wasn't deep enough to cause damage. Only stunning her. When Adelina realized it, the first suspect did the final blow by kicking the blade into her back, severing her left anterior descending aorta, causing her to bleed out instantly. The angle and abrasions from the kick caused the injuries you see here. The blade used wasn't serrated, though military grade from the bruise pattern created by the hilt." She paused again and slumped her shoulders, pursing her lips in deep thought. "Too bad there's no way to identify who bought the knife…cruel weapons."

"Two suspects," Gajeel straightened his back and rubbed his chin. "One is around six feet tall and possibly male and the second one is five-five could be female. A skill to throw knives? Erase evidence? There's no doubt we're dealing with some mercs. It's not much, but more than what we had. Good job, Lis.

"I do what I can, Sarge." Lisanna did a half ass salute. "I'll let you know if I find anything else, though I can't promise you any more than that."

"You did enough," Gajeel said to her, quickly writing down key information into his small little black notepad. "Thanks, Lisanna. Keep it up."

"You got it," She nodded. "It's nice meeting you, Detective." She smiled and Levy returned with a smile of her own. For someone so young in this field, Lisanna was good at her job. A little too well for Levy's liking and it only made her nervous. As far as Gajeel and Lisanna were concerned, they believe she was nervous about a dead body in front of her. This wasn't all a lie. Seeing her again and the wounds they've inflicted only made the weight of this job heavier on her shoulders. She hoped, at the very least, make sure she didn't get caught.

"_Jet! No!" _Levy blinked the thought of that night out of her mind. _"Both of you stop it!" _Her screams still rung in her ear and as she looked back at Adelina cold on the frigid metal slab, Levy mouthed an apology to her.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this.

It never was.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello again! Here is the next chapter! Half of this chapter was supposed to be the other half of the previous chapter, but I keep adding to this one and it became a chapter of its own. I decided to have a moment with a character that actually died in canon FT, but my sad little heart wants you guys to suffer. SUFFER! Anyways, enjoy this chapter. I'm going to focus on other fics before I upload the next one, so don't expect an update anytime soon. **

* * *

Chapter Eight: Old Hag

The look in her eyes told Gajeel it was her first time seeing a dead body. At least in that form. Uncovered with no modesty as Lisanna looked over the victim's body as if it was a piece of a bigger puzzle and not a former human being. If only she knew how Lisanna became a medical examiner in the first place. It wasn't because of her siblings being detectives neither in their respective fields nor for her school interning for the retired Forensics Pathologist. The bright and bubbly Doctor Lisanna Strauss was who she is because of her fateful encounter with death.

He couldn't forget that day when he and Lily found her on the alley almost lifeless after she was pulled out of the fire. His former boss and Lisanna's older sister was there screaming and crying out for her. Elfman in ghostly silence. He was there. First on scene. He was within arms reach of her before the warehouse burst into flames. It was Natsu, a regular firefighter at the time, who pulled her out of the wreckage. Lisanna was in the wrong place at the wrong time, kidnapped and held hostage for weeks on end.

She was lucky though. The persistence of the paramedics and the Medical Examiner on site, believing she was beyond saving, resuscitate her on their route to the hospital. She was clearly dead for more than fourteen minutes. A normal person would be brain dead for being dead that long. With only a tacky heart beat and lungs full smoke, the nineteen year old Lisanna was alive and well and now giving her life to speak for the dead and help them find their killers.

That was Lisanna's story on how she became who she was, though the curiosity of Levy McGarden had caught his attention. How did someone like Levy become a detective? If only Lucy was here to uncover the truth. She loved to ask questions and pry her nose where it didn't belong, which irritated the crap out of Gajeel, however, Lucy would be useful as she'd ask the questions and not him.

"I know this must be difficult, but finding out who she was working with might lead us to finding her killer." Levy asked the mother of the victim, who was rubbing her already tender nose with a wet tissue.

"I told him and the others that my daughter had nothing to with any mercenaries!" Her voice harsh and tired from answering more questions. "She's a mother for Christ sakes! How could she have time to work a second job when she has a son to raise? It's the reason why she accepted the job at the Museum, so she could spend more time with my grandson."

There was no frustration on Levy's face. Only the long face of sympathy and remorse for the mother's loss. Before they came to the victim's family, both Levy and Gajeel met up with a few of her former co-workers at her old job as mall security. Which they didn't know anything about her working another job, but the other co-worker that might know would be the one sitting in the room with them; Adelina's boyfriend.

"The four of us were supposed to go to her son's school for a charity auction." He spoke to them, answering most of the questions that they threw at them. "The three of us went, but Adelina had to leave because of work. Sometimes work had her staying their most of the night, so we didn't even think anything had gone wrong when she didn't come home."

"Can anyone verify you three were there?" Gajeel asked him. "Anyone saw you come home after the event?"

"Are you accusing us of killing her?" The man asked Gajeel with a much offended tone.

"I'm just doing my job," Gajeel crossed his arms intimidatingly. "I'm not accusing anyone yet. We need the facts."

"Tch," He snorted. "People at the auction. And maybe neighbors? We came home late." Gajeel looked around the house again. A keypad by the back door indicated a security system. He needed more from them if he wanted to get the security logs from their home. A warrant was needed, but not without more evidence. While the victim's mother and son are sleeping, the boyfriend could easily slip away without their knowledge. Both Adelina and he worked in security for more than two years to know how most systems work. But for now it was just a theory.

"You mind if we have the data logs for your security system?" Gajeel asked, knowing the answer by the look on his face. "While you're out, your daughter might have returned home to retrieve something before going back to work. Maybe something that could lead us to our killer."

"If you want the logs you need a warrant, officer." He hissed at him as a forewarning. "She wasn't working with anyone anymore." That caught Gajeel's attention and he wanted to know more, but he shall wait and run his alibi again and comply him with a warrant.

"Thank you," Levy finally looked up from her very thorough notes and gave them a forced smile. "We'll call you if we have anymore questions." She held out her hands out to them, but they only stared at it. "Again, I am terribly sorry for your loss." Her fingers curled, staring at the emptiness of her gratitude.

"Well, that went well." Levy commented as they entered Gajeel's car. She sighed softly, going through her notes. "I guess I'll run his alibi just in case."

"Idiot." Gajeel chuckled. Only to receive a puzzled look from his new temporary partner.

"Who? Our suspect?" Levy closed her notebook with emphasis. Too dramatic that Gajeel laughed at the fact he could see Lucy write one of her characters like her. "He knew his rights, he was good at lying, and it would seem he has a history with cops."

"Both of you are idiots!" Gajeel stated sharply at the new detective.

"Excuse me?" Levy was appalled. "Sir, if I could—"

"Don't call me that." Gajeel interrupted. "I bet those notes are helpful to the case." Said with much sarcasm.

"Then, sir—" Levy paused, "I mean—Sergeant." Levy continued. "How are taking good notes make me an idiot?"

"Not an idiot if ya a good lawyer." Gajeel said barbarically.

"Oh!" Levy hollered. "And that makes me an idiot?"

"Lawyers use facts."

"And we don't?"

"We observe and remember."

"That doesn't mean I can't take good notes. Detailed notes can solve a case."

"You might miss somethin' if yer busy writin' every single word down. And you'll learn a lot by watchin' yer suspect's body language."

"Makes sense." Levy nodded. "But, that's how I solve cases. No disrespect, Sergeant."

"Call me by name," Gajeel interrupted again. "I ain't into ranks."

"With no disrespect," Levy continued. "I'll stick with my conventional way and you can use your method." Levy tried not to sound like she was threatening her temporary superior. It bothered her though with his little personal quips. In the station during debrief, at a crime scene, and in front of the captain, Gajeel would keep an unnerving, serious demeanor in which a sergeant of homicide should act. His detectives would call him Sarge with an exception of the lieutenant would call him by his first name. Levy wondered if Cana and the others call the sergeant by Gajeel when they were not working.

"If it works," Gajeel sighed, leaning his head back against the headrest as the car comes to a complete stop at rush hour traffic.

Another thing that bothered Levy was how much he would lecture people. First word she heard him say this morning was telling Cana to stop overreacting to Levy being partnered up with him. Second was telling Bixlow to keep it in his pants and do his work. Third, Elfman to lay off the caffeine and now Levy with her note taking. Gajeel had some authoritative leadership qualities and uses it for personal critiques. Clearly, he wasn't what she was expecting.

Before Levy could ask Gajeel something. A loud ordinary ringtone broke the momentary silence in the black Dodge Charger. He pulled out his phone and looked at the screen. The click of his tongue and a hasty chug of his phone into the cupholder between them, Gajeel reached for a small Bluetooth ear piece from the sun visor and slipped it around his ear, pushing some of his dark locks away.

"Yeah," Gajeel answered. Levy tried to look like she wasn't interested in his blunt conversation, though her wondering eyes looked at the phone screen: Old Hag. "Sure." He paused again, listening to the woman's voice on the other line. "Uh huh." Another blunt answer. "Yeah, see ya tonight." He clicked the button on the piece and clipped it back on the visor. Gajeel exhaled hard out of his pierced nose and set his large hands back on the steering wheel. Finally, the traffic was moving and they merge onto the highway.

"May I ask you something?" Levy cut the silence. Clammy hands fiddling on her leather bound notepad, securely on her lap.

"Shoot." He grumbled, eyes still on the road.

"I know it's not my place, but I'm curious to know about the _Bunny Girl_ Detective Bixlow had mention back at the morgue." Since she was trapped in the car with him, Levy might as well get to know him. There was far too little information and only the things she had read or heard didn't do Gajeel any justice. "You stated she's your partner"

"I knew that was coming." Gajeel pressed his lips into a thin line. "Everyone wants to know about her."

"An interesting conversation stater." Levy giggled. "Not even Cana mention anything."

"Probably bitching about what I did to ya seven years ago." Gajeel snorted. "I can't imagine what she had to say about me."

"Good things at first." Levy reassured him. "I was surprised that she knew about the hazing incident. She didn't know it was you who did that to me until recently. I wonder how she found out."

"You didn't tell her?" Gajeel said surprisingly like all this time he thought she was the one who told Cana.

"I don't know how she found out," Levy shrugged her shoulders. "She didn't seem too happy seeing you this morning."

"She's loyal. I give her that." Gajeel nodded. Silence loomed over them again. The unanswered question lay heavily in that silence and for some reason Levy felt nervous.

"We went to the same schools growing up." Levy told him. "After high school, she took the year off and I went into the police academy as I attended community college at night." She smiled at how long her friendship with her had lasted. Twenty years and still going strong. It was her that introduced Levy to her best friends, Jet and Droy. "She's a loyal and cherish friend." Her gaze drifted to the window, where they drove by her street. She couldn't see the little old bookstore and the apartment that reside above it, but she knew it was there with all the familiar landmarks she caught a glimpse of as they drove on the highway.

"Bunny Girl," Gajeel final spoke after another interlude of silence. "Lucy was my partner. She helped me solve the Phantom Lord case along with the rest of the crew."

"Was?" Levy gulped nervously, hoping she didn't open old wounds.

"She's done with law enforcement." Gajeel grumbled. "Engaged to my cousin for all intents and purposes." He glanced over, catching her confused stare. "Our dads were old army buds back in the day. He's pretty much like a brother."

"Congrats! Now your old partner is going to be part of your family." Levy grinned and slumped in relief. Often times when old partners or officers are addressed in past tense they have died. Either on duty or natural causes. Sadly enough killed in action was the majority. "Where did her nickname come from?"

"From a case." Gajeel answered, reluctant to continue, and Levy could tell he didn't like telling them. She waited though, patiently for him to continue on his own accord. "We had to go undercover at a casino. Lucy wasn't part of the team because she wasn't a cop, though she found new information that we didn't know about. That stupid girl snuck in and found a waitress uniform. The uniform was a sexy bunny girl outfit." He paused when he needed to change lanes in order to get to the highway exit. "Long story short, she ended up saving our asses with her quick thinking and ingenuity."

"In a bunny costume no less." Levy laughed whole heartedly and so did Gajeel, catching her off guard once again.

"She's smart. Damn annoying with her constant questioning and wild imaginations." Gajeel added. "She may think like a cop, but always assumes the unlikely for her theories."

"Sounds like Cana," Levy reached for her vibrating phone. "Back in robbery, she'd always have her crazy theories when we get a new case. Sometimes she wasn't far off." The message was from Jet: _I need to see you. TONIGHT. _Levy was alarmed by the capital letters, but she didn't let that faze her. _Not a good time,_ she replied and put her phone away. It frightens Levy, but not by the urgency of Jet wanting to see her, but how unpredictable his message could be. It could be a friend wanting to see a friend or a business matter with their boss. In which Levy feared the most. Their boss would give those orders via Gildarts and to have not heard from her Deputy Chief was rare. She hoped, at the very least, it was a friendly message.

They pulled into the precinct where Juvia was waiting for them outside her car. Her hair was thick and lush, shining a beautiful dance along her shoulders. She wasn't nicely dressed like the day before at the museum. She wore dark blue jeans with a slight bootcut flare to hide the high heeled boots. A navy blue blouse underneath a black shining leather jacket gave her some ruggedness to her demeanor, almost reflecting the same look as Gajeel. From what she could remember from Gajeel's file was before they became Sergeant and Lieutenant, they were partners in this department. How many partners did Gajeel have? Bunny Girl, the Lieutenant, Cana and now Levy—who else? They apparently happened to be women.

"Any luck?" Gajeel said to her as soon as he got out of the car.

"Get this," Juvia smiled and handed Gajeel the tablet with a file on the screen. Levy joined them and looked at the screen, Gajeel tilting it so she could see. "One of the guards called in for the week. We only had two guards working the night Adelina was killed. I tried contacting him and family, but no word from him. We can go to his apartment and get him ourselves."

"We have a warrant?" Gajeel handed the tablet back to Juvia.

"Still waiting for it." Juvia told him, running a hand through her wavy hair. "Cana and even the captain are going to come with us. You have a vest?" She turned to Levy who was spacing out from the news, and they looked at her, waiting for a response.

"Y'okay?" Gajeel asked her, giving her the same look back at the morgue.

"Yes." She said without fault and then Levy coughed to unease herself from his concern gaze. "Actually, I have to make some calls and catch up with my precinct to see if they have anymore information."

"Okay," Juvia nodded. "Keep us updated. C'mon, Gajeel." She motions her chin to her car and headed to the driver side. Levy met his ruby eyes again, and this time the look of concern disappeared and replaced with the same old stoic look he always had.

"Do what you have to do." Levy shrugged her shoulders, smiled and started walking towards the entrance of the station. The last thing she saw was Gajeel's eyes widen just slightly. She didn't dare look back, afraid to catch him staring at her. Why would he be anyways? Levy needed to stop reading people. Yes, it was her job to observe and report, but she needed to study them for their quirks and not by what they could be thinking.

* * *

He hated the Gold Coast.

Tourist description of the gold coast would be watching the sunrise and sunset turn the turquoise vast into the beautiful gold ocean. Though, that was entirely true. It was called the Gold Coast, because of the luxury condo high rises that were peppered along with five star hotels. Where they share a mile road of fashion boutiques, legendary restaurants, and night life that would indulge those who are well lived.

For a short time, this fake polished part of Magnolia use to be his home after his father died. Gajeel, as much as he hated the money wasters, he didn't mind it too much. It was surprisingly safe, considering the police jurisdiction was well funded by the residence of their district. The worse that could happen there was a bag of money falling on your head.

Gajeel approached a condominium high rise parking lot and the usual parking attendant waved him through without the need to buzz the tenant. He nodded back and drove through the swirly ramp to the fourteenth floor.

"You need a haircut." The old woman scolded once Gajeel opened the security pin locked door to her condo.

"You need to get off my case, Old Hag!" Gajeel bit back with his own insult, only to receive a quirky grin. She resumed her rhythmic chopping at the kitchen counter. Her hair was becoming grayer and grayer every time Gajeel saw her, and the wrinkling folds on her face started to collect cakey make-up within the creases.

Belnora or Granny Belno was a retired judicial judge of Magnolia and former Assistant District Attorney. Retirement could not stop the old woman from working as she was the Dean of Law at Magnolia University. A cold stern woman who didn't take crap from other people or fellow lawyers. She was a workaholic and to only enjoyed six month of her retirement before she decided to go back in the world of law. This time it was to help mold the future defenders of Justice.

Belno didn't change as her age persisted, but Gajeel could sense the new found strain in her. Even from the outside, Belno kept her chin high and her mouth flapping of her own opinions. She taught Gajeel and Rogue that listening and observing are fundamental traits to a high powered mind and undeniable leadership. And lastly, taught them how to trust their gut—their heart—for it was the best source of guidance.

"Commissioner told me about the Fairy Tail case." Belno winced at the ache in her wrinkled hand. Without saying a word, Gajeel took the knife from her cold hands and resumed where she left off. "Who is the victim?" A small smile from her was her thanks. Between them, it didn't need to be said.

"Would you like to take a guess?" Gajeel offered, throwing garlic into the pan.

"Don't tell me." She laughed. "Security guard?"

"Yes and No."

"Curator?"

"Curator who was also in charge of the damn sword's security." Gajeel made quick work with the onions into a minced pile and threw them in the hot pan. Belno followed with some salt, pepper and oregano.

"Typical." She snorted and stirred the contents. The sizzling filled their silence and both stared at the oil releasing the fragrant aroma. Gajeel's stomach churned as the smell whet his appetite.

"Might have a suspect. We have an APB and added him to the no-fly list out for a guard that called in sick for the week." Gajeel added to her curiosity. "No one has heard from him since Monday."

"Did you search his apartment?" Belno asked.

"Yep," Gajeel nodded. "On the run most likely."

"I see," She muttered, adding the rest of her ingredients into the pan. "Enough of work," A boiling pot of hot water roared away and Gajeel threw in the dehydrated linguine into the pot, hearing the harden noodles scatter against the metal. "How are Natsu and Lucy? What of Sting?"

"Same." Gajeel shrugged, grabbing the spoon from the old woman. She resisted, but Gajeel didn't give up. "Sit." His voice was louder than he anticipated and slightly threatening, though that wasn't his intention of course and she knew it. Belno gave a soft smile and walked around the island and sat down on one of the stools, watching as Gajeel continued what she started in front of her.

"Stubborn fool." She hissed almost playfully. "Can't make dinner in my own kitchen. I bet I'm the only gal you make dinner for."

"Tch, there's Wendy and sometimes Lucy." Gajeel clenched his jaw, waiting for the inevitable topic to come out her mouth.

"—But, no girlfriend." She chuckled, bringing up a glass of chilled Pinto Grigio to her lipstick chapped lips. Almost a dark burgundy print was left on the fancy stemware. "What's the point in teaching ya how to cook if you don't use it to snatch you up a nice gal?"

"Ya didn't teach me anything," Gajeel huffed. "Watchin' you cook ain't teachin'."

"Observing is learning. And of course I taught you many things. You and Rogue wouldn't be where you are at without my guidance." Belno snorted once again as Gajeel rolled his eyes playfully. How many times had they had this conversation? "Take care, my love, because when you do find that girl, you'd be thinking of me."

"Right." Gajeel fought a smile and put his attention to the sauce and stirred the noodles. "Tch, why you on my case about getting a gal? I ain't looking for one and not any time soon." He flickered his eyes to the old woman. Her face soften from its harden state, making her wrinkles more prominent in the kitchen lighting.

"I'm getting old," She exasperated, twirling the honey pale wine in her glass. "Twenty years had passed since the death of your cousin. And for almost fifteen years I have considered you and brother as sons of my own."

"What's this all of the sudden?" Gajeel let out an uneasy chuckle. "You're never senile. Have you gotten soft?"

"Shut up, you stubborn child!" Belno grabbed the slotted spatula for the noodles and slapped his arm with it. "I may be senile, but I'm not dead!" She wacked him one more time where remnants of starchy water dotted his scarred arm. "And can an old woman wish to have grandchildren?"

"Ask Rogue about that." Gajeel snatched the slotted spoon from her and placed it beside him where she could not reach. A beep from the door indicating the keypad being of use alerted them both. "Speaking of Rogue…" The door clicked open and the quiet and tame one out of the three walked through the door with his backpack and garnet polo bartending uniform on.

"Hey," Rogue strode towards Belno while unzipping his backpack and pulled out a dark green glass bottle with a red label and handed it to Belno. Her face lit up, grabbing the bottle from him. "I thought you'd like that."

"You better have not stolen this!" She wacked him on his arm.

"I'm not Gajeel or Natsu." Rogue chuckled, kissing her on the cheek. "I got some good tips today. A very early bachelorette party. How are ya?"

"Good now!" Belno roared in a hoarse laugh. "Thank you very much. I knew you were my favorite one." Her eyes studied the bottle of expensive scotch, trailing her fingers from the neck of the bottle to the base of it. Rogue flashed an accomplished grin towards Gajeel. His ravenous hair wasn't as long as Gajeel's, though it was long enough for him to put it in a mid-high pony tail and for his bangs to cover his right eye.

"Wipe that smug off yer face!" Gajeel pointed at him with his oily spatula. "You makin' me look bad."

"Both of you should cut your hair," Belno chided. "If you want to be respectable young men, I suggest you stop with the Metallica look."

"Who listens to Metallica?" Rogue laughed, only earning a wicked scowl from Gajeel. "Right! Old people." Another smack from Belno. "Ow!"

"If yer callin' yer brother old then what am I?" Belno set the bottle down in front of her, pursing her lips at her boys.

"Legendary?" Gajeel spat.

"Ancient?" Rogue looked at her older brother.

"No," Gajeel snickered. "A National Treasure."

"I'm neither Fairy Glitter nor that damn sword!" Belno huffed, crossing her arms at the two boys. No matter how old they are, they would always be her boys. "Oh and I almost forgot!" Belno got up from the bar stool and walked to the living room, where a pile of scattered papers and two tablets were set up on the coffee table. She retrieved a red folder, not a plain Manila folder, a rare and worn red folder. _Fairy Artifacts_ was strewn on the torn white sticker at the upper right hand corner of it and the photos and files that lie within were overflowing.

"Make the sauce." Gajeel handed the wooden spoon to Rogue and grabbed the folder, weighing the burden of information. "Is this information on the sword?"

"Only accessible by certain eyes, of course. My access as a former Justice Board of the city unlocks certain perks. Not even the commissioner can obtain such records." Belno said proudly. "After the commissioner spoke to me about your department taking the case, I took the liberty of obtaining important information about the artifact and the others associated with it." He opened the folder and took a glimpse. Another file to read. He never liked to read them and now more than ever wished for Lucy to come on this case just to read this file. She was good at finding a needle in a very boring haystack. "It might help your case and help your new partner with hers."

"Who told you about that?" Gajeel looked up and furrowed his metal brows.

"New partner?" Rogue washed his hands after adding cooked bacon to the pan. "When did you get a new partner?"

"Damn it," Gajeel tsked and shut the folder and setting it aside on the counter. "Do you ever shut your mouth?" She shrugged her shoulders guiltily. "Just a temporary partner from Robbery Division. Nothing special."

"A murder and robbery at—" Rogue looked over to the folder. "—the museum? What a cliché, dontcha think?" He laughed. "Sounds like something Lucy would write."

"Nah, she's too classy for redundancy." Gajeel corrected him. "If she didn't have me for inspiration, she would be writing trash like that."

"Ah, but this story involves a collaboration with an intelligent young lady cop from a different precinct." Belno told them. "From her record, she's a clean cop who follows the rules."

"And Gajeel doesn't like following the rules." Rogue added. "Hm, maybe we should talk to Lucy about a new book idea for Gael Steel."

"And yer snooping on my crew?" Gajeel glared at her.

This was why Gajeel never liked the dinner nights with Belno and Rogue. Both of them ganging up on him about trivial things. It wasn't so bad now considering that they only meet once a month, because of their busy and hectic schedules. Once before their date nights often happened every Thursday night. Belno would complain about her boys not visiting her as often as she'd like, but Gajeel had good reasons. At least for him with Belno always criticizing about his life and well-being. Always wanted him to do well and create a meaningful life. Her intentions are good, but far more annoying as she kept meddling where she shouldn't.

"You boys be careful," Belno said, hugging Rogue tightly. "And thank you for the scotch."

"Anytime," Rogue smiled and placed a light peck on her cheek. "Come by my work sometime. Drinks on me."

"A woman like me in a modern upscale club?" she gaffed. "I'll bring it up the next time the gals meet up for cribbage." Rogue smiled and walked out of the door. Gajeel was next and he had the red folder in his large hands.

"Don't you dare lose anything from that file!" Belno scolded, crossing her arms. "I need to return it as soon as you are done." Gajeel smirked and leaned down to plant a small kiss on her cheek.

"Thanks, old hag." Gajeel said to her. Granny Belno lightly punched him in the chest.

"Be careful out there." She said to him. Her voice was a little meek and raspy like she was going to burst into tears, though the Dragon Lady fought them back like she always did. She buried many Redfox's in her lifetime. She didn't need to bury another.

With every goodbye they exchange since he joined the force, it always sounded like this was the last time she was going to see him.

* * *

"Take out?" Levy answered the door to her apartment above the bookstore and found her childhood and beloved friend, Jet, holding up a bag of Chinese take-out. Her smile fell when she noticed it wasn't from her favorite place, though she'd consider it sweet he brought them food. After today, she needed someone she could talk to, and not with just anyone. Someone who knew about everything.

"I told you not to come today." Levy scolded, though her voice surrendered to the comfort of an old friend. "My temporary job has me on unknowing eyes. I can't risk being seen with you."

"Oh c'mon, Lev." Jet chuckled and walked into her apartment and towards her crowded kitchen table with mismatch chairs. "No one is going to know. If anyone asks, I'm Gildart's Civilian Investigator."

"No one is going to ask," Levy crossed her arms and watched him unpack the food from the brown paper bag. "One of them is going to figure it out."

"You worry," Jet flashed a smile and waved her over to the table. "You always worry. C'mon and eat." All day she had her defenses up, feared for the others to see right through her. But, right now she didn't need to have her shield up. She wasn't Detective Levy McGarden of the Seventh Precinct. She was just Levy in the presence of friends.

"Gildarts told me to meet up with the boss's messenger boy." Jet picked at the food inside the carton. There were no plates in front of them. Just two pairs of chopsticks and trading white greasy cartons. "He isn't too happy that we haven't figured out a plan for the next task." His mouth was full of food, but Levy understood him.

"Gildarts needs to come up with a plan." Levy swallowed her lo mein. "A good one too. Detectives are better than we thought."

"C'mon," Jet snorted. "There's no way they'll suspect us. Especially you being right in front of their nose." She met his gaze, dark eyes sensing her frustration. "What's wrong? We're okay, right?" Levy quickly stuffed her mouth with more roast pork lo mein and averted her gaze to her bookshelf. "It can't be. They can't have information about us."

"More or less." Levy swallowed hard, washing her food down with tepid water. "Our trick to cover the stab wound with gun shots was a fluke. They still identified it as a stab wound." She paused, thinking about the brilliant and young medical examiner. Did she dare to say her name? "They also figured out there were two people working with Adelina. One threw the knife, but didn't cause damage."

"And don't tell me they figured out the kick too?" Jet finished it for her. Levy's silence caused his Adam's apple to lurch up nervously, swallowing hard. "You got to be kidding me." They've never killed anyone before. Which to their surprise it took them this long to fall upon the choice. Never did they want to purposely kill, even as an order. They'd have time to consider other option, but unfortunately for Adelina, they had no choice as her sudden change of heart led to her demise.

A greasy hand threaded through his slick pony tail, pulling at the ties. His long pale red hair came down to the tops of his shoulders. Levy never saw Jet with his hair long before. Throughout their childhood, he would always wear a plethora of hats. It wasn't until they entered the police academy the hats went and he sported a short shaggy look, and after the hazing, he grew it out and he kept it like that ever since. Levy never knew why and never wanted to ask him for his reasons for the new change. She figured that his ex-girlfriend might have something to do with it.

"We need to be careful with this next plan." Levy set her carton down and studied the worry in Jet's face. His gaze went over to his phone, fingers twitching to inform Droy about this news. Instead, he got up from his plastic chair and towards the bookcase in the living room. "I'm not sure how Gildarts plan on taking Fairy Glitter, but he has to be cautious." Jet went to one side of the bookcase and begun to push, sliding it on a hidden track and covering one of the windows. Several targets adorned the walls, riddled with holes and slashes. It was this little game they use to play when they were younger, and now it was no longer a game.

"Getting Fairy Glitter will be far more complicated than Fairy Law." Jet explained. "Not to mention the little information we had on the security system." His face studied the targets, grabbing a small wooden box filled with throwing knives within the secretive drawer of Levy's ottoman. "Whatever the plan, I believe Gildarts will have his other men handle it. After what the three of us and you did at the museum, he wouldn't risk bringing us out there."

"It's his best interest to keep me in the fourteenth's circle." Levy sighed, getting up from her sit and joined Jet. Hands were greasy, but it won't hinder her skill. "I have to distract the others somehow. Especially Gajeel and Juvia." That caught his attention.

"Gajeel?" Jet's eyes narrowed. "That fucking bastard who hazed us?" Levy fell silent again, giving him his answer. "You're working with him? After what he did to you! To us? How could you accept—?"

"It's my job, Jet!" Levy shook her head and grabbed two of the knives from his grasp. "And what happened between us and Gajeel is over. What's the point in keeping grudges?" She twirled smooth black hilt, hearing the metal sing in the air.

"Don't tell me you've forgiven him?" Jet grew testy. "How could you?"

"As easily as I've forgiven you," Levy grinned softly, realizing she was opening wounds again. "What's done is done. We can't waiver in the past." She twirled it and grasped the flat of the blade. "We must focus on the future." She swung her arm back and fluidly thrown the knife into the wall. A rewarding thug into the reinforced drywall set some ease into Levy's nerves, though the weight of the knife in her hands became heavy as she remembered the knife impaling Adelina in the back. "If we ever want to get out of this hell, we need to do what we have to do."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: HELLO PEOPLE! I'm back with an overdue chapter! I wasn't planning on updating this, but I had this strange urge to write this fic while I was suppose to finish Streetlights and Silhouettes. Instead, I finished this story. Lots of BrOTP in this chapter, especially the Gajeel/Lucy BROTP. And as the title entails, it's introducing another important character in this fic. I cannot say when I'll update the next chapter. All I can say is this fic will be written when the feeling arises. **

**Now, let's play Murder-sort of-hehee**

* * *

**Chapter Nine: The Bunny Girl**

"Wait? Romeo?" Sting slammed his hand on the table, ceramic mugs rumbling beneath the diner's table. Rogue grabbed his mug immediately and Gajeel settled his palm over the rim, feeling the steaming warmth scorching his callused skin. "The guy we took chemistry and physics with? That Romeo?" His blond hair danced along the mix of the diner's fluorescents and morning sunlight. The cobalt blue of his electrician uniform brought out the beautiful brightness in his alike eyes. Sting Eucliffe was a very old friend of Rogue. He knew Rogue far better and longer than Gajeel did.

"Yeah," Natsu sighed, still mad about one of his co-workers dating their Wendy. "He's a nice guy."

"A nice guy, yes, but does he deserve Wendy?" Sting fumed. The four boys pondered in silence, staring at their respective cups of coffee. However, Gajeel just stared at them. He never met Romeo, so he could not say, but his older brother instincts are telling him to never trust him.

"Wendy is more responsible than all of you combined." A high pitch voice cut through the cloud of silence. The smell of her lilac perfume and mix of expensive hair products wafted into Gajeel's nose. A disgusting and yet familiar smell. In the name of Justice, how could Natsu love that atrocious smell? "Wendy can take care of herself, and you all know it." Lucy's heels clicked on the tile floor and gave a kiss to her fiancé, Natsu, before she scooted in beside him, crushing Sting against the booth wall. Lucy flashed a dazzling white smile at Gajeel. A smile that'd fool men, but not him. He was immune to her charms.

"What brings you back in town, Bunny Girl?" Gajeel grinned as he watched the smile disappear from her face. Her glossy lips turned into a slight pout. "Avoiding yer publisher?"

"No," Lucy turned to the waitress who automatically brought her coffee and said her thanks. "Maybe? Said after she took a sip of her black coffee and seeking refuge in its warmth. "Well, I have other reasons for coming back. One of them is to meet Romeo for Wendy's dinner party tomorrow. He was shocked to see no make-up adorned her brown eyes, though her medium length blond hair was straighten and styled in its usual simple design, and of course the gloss on her lips. "You should invite Juvia to the party." She said to Gajeel.

"We're busy with a case." Gajeel shook his head.

"I thought you're working on the 442 tomorrow?" Natsu commented, only receiving a threatening glare from Gajeel.

"After we solve this case." Gajeel sighed.

"Maybe have one of the other detectives do it and call you when they've found something?" Lucy shrugged her bare shoulders. "I mean, you are a sergeant now. And this dinner is important to Wendy." Gajeel remained silent. "And I bet you miss her since she left for med school." Silent still and the big brown eyes kept reading him like an open book. "Anything to have her home for a little while, right?" She leaned back and Natsu slung his arm around her shoulders.

"I ain't one of yer books, girl." He tsked and mimicked her by leaning back and crossing his arms. "This case is big."

"The big museum break-in and a side of brutally clean murder to go with it," Natsu chuckled. "Sounds like something you'd write, right Luce?" The pink haired man flashed his dazzling white smile to his fiancée only to have her glare at him back.

"Like I'd write something so cliché as that." Lucy shrugged his arm off her bare shoulders and set her elbows on the table. "Tell me the details."

"No!" Gajeel scowled. "Like I'm letting' you play detective again."

"I'm just trying to help." Lucy snorted. "I was your partner once."

"No you weren't."

"Ouch" Sting and Rogue said simultaneously only to get alike glare from both Lucy and Gajeel. "Sorry." They both backed off and tried to hold in their laughs.

"Yer tryin' to get out of writin' yer damn novel." Gajeel snarled at her. "Stop meddlin' and do yer job!"

"And stop orderin' me around!" Lucy mocked him. "You need an outside perspective and you know it. Two departments working together isn't going to get you anywhere." Lucy pointed out and raised her chin knowing she was right. "Come on. Just like old times?" Lucy held her hand out towards Sting and Rogue. They had to be included. They always were. Always will.

Gajeel sighed, relaxing his shoulders and rubbed the back of his neck. Years ago, Gajeel wouldn't put up with her bullshit and simply ignored her like a wrought iron statue he use to be. It took some effort, but Lucy found a way into the iron walls Gajeel welded around his heart. The hammer that brought down the "Lucy" nail was his family. His reasons for living and working his ass off were the four people that counted on him the most. That'd be the reason why Lucy was so fascinated by his character from the start. The reason why Lucy created Gael Steel. And as much as he would talk poorly about her, Gajeel would never admit how incredibly resourceful Lucy was during her short time as his partner. Unfortunately, he could not seem to get rid of her. Lucy found herself trapped into this estranged family by falling deeply in love with Gajeel's annoyingly happy-go lucky and surprisingly respectable cousin, Natsu Dragneel.

"The scene." Gajeel finally spoke, pulling out his phone to reveal photos of the crime scene. Everyone at the table leaned in and watch as Lucy touched his greasy screen and swiped from picture to picture. Their eyes studied them carefully as Gajeel continued to describe the scene in blunt detail from the bleach bloody body to the missing sword. "—the module for the security junction wasn't tampered with. Indicating Adelina wasn't working alone."

"Unless—" Sting grabbed the phone and swiped to the picture showing the wires and chips of where the sword once laid. "—see the chips on main board?" Sting zoomed in on the green plate with gold and silver lines running through it and tiny squares with different numbers etched into the circuits. "They were tampered with long before the robbery."

"Yer sure about that?" Gajeel narrowed on Sting who nodded confidently. His blue eyes glanced at him before returning to the photo.

"They were burnt out long time ago." Sting pointed out again. "The residual marks are old. I don't have to be there to see it for myself. The damn proof is in the pic." He shrugged his shoulders and grabbed his coffee mug. The former thief and delinquent now a certified electrician. He was always a smart kid, but played with the wrong crowd back in the day along with Rogue. Both Natsu and Gajeel's influence no doubt. "I say—two months old? Concentration of residue spread through the motherboard. Because of the overload, it completely destroyed the alarms without any safeguard alerting anyone. A fault for this kind of system. That's why maintenance is important to replace the module to prevent burnouts."

"_Tampering of the security junctions takes time." _Levy's voice echoed in his ear.

"Insurance pays for inspections, but due to budget cuts they haven't had one in a long time." Gajeel pointed out. "So, Adelina could've done it alone?"

"Yes, and clearly intentional. If someone was in charge of running this system, their priority was to maintain it regardless of mandated inspections." Sting said, boasting proudly from his input. "Disabling cameras and other security is another story." Rogue grabbed the phone and looked through the pictures. "No way someone tapped the cameras and the main systems by themselves. _That _junction can be done by one person over time."

"Is this information commonly known?" Gajeel asked, pulling out the leather bound notepad from his jacket and uncapping his pen with his sharp teeth. He looked over at Lucy, smiling at him when she noticed he was using her gift periodically as he turned more than half way through the small notepad filled with squiggles and sketches. He didn't smile back, though Lucy already knew he appreciated the gift. He wouldn't use it if it didn't benefit him.

"I didn't learn that in trade school if that's what you mean." Sting snorted while Rogue kicked him under the table. "Ow! Jeez, it's not like these idiots were perfect angels!" His eyes narrowed on Rogue before returning it to Gajeel. "Anyone who disabled alarms before know this. Maybe common sense for someone who works on systems like the one at the museum."

"Have you worked on something like this before?" Gajeel asked and watched as Sting's jaw tightens. He sometimes forgets that he became his childhood enemy. Before he enrolled into the police academy, the former Dragon Boys hated the police. They'd never admit to fearing them, but they always express their disinterest on the people that slapped handcuffs on their wrists. A younger Gajeel would spit all over him for what he had become, however, his current self didn't regret a single thing. A respectable job and money to help push Sting, Rogue and the brilliant Wendy to do what they always wanted to do.

Though, the old feeling would creep up from their hearts. Even if it was just Gajeel or Juvia, it made the boys a little uneasy speaking to a cop who knew them too well.

"Telling you?" Sting chuckled. "A cop? No, I haven't. As Rogue's brother and former asshole—"

"Still an asshole," Natsu added, laughing beside Lucy, but all of them ignored them.

"—and good friend, I may or may have not disabled simpler designs of the same caliber." Sting explained. "The only difference between the museum and what I have or have not worked on is the amount of maintenance." He paused and stared at him. "That's all."

"That means this was definitely planned." Lucy added.

"And well done." Natsu exhaled out of his nose. "Not like how we did things back then. Right, Blacksteel?"

"Tch," Gajeel clicked his tongue. "Rampaging through a broken window and grabbing everything we can before the 5-0 show up?"

"Now you are catching them." Rogue laughed.

"Different department." Lucy and Gajeel corrected them.

"Y'all the same." Rogue shook his head. "Like your new partner. She's from robbery right?" Gajeel kicked him, but accidentally kicked Sting instead.

"Seriously?" Sting rubbed his ankle. "You brothers need to calm the fuck down."

"New partner?" Lucy raised a curious brow. "Cana is from the fourteenth. Do you mean her?"

"A temp that Granny Bell mentioned last night during dinner." Rogue set the phone down on the table. "I think I found something."

"Wait—wait!" Lucy set her hand over Rogue's wrist and then looked at Gajeel. "This new partner first."

"No." Gajeel hissed.

"What's her name?"

"Who said she was a she?"

"It's always a she." Lucy pestered.

"Lily isn't a she."

"Lily is a girl's name."

Gajeel didn't say anything. For once he wanted to win against Lucy. Prove to her not all of his partners were women (or female names for Lily's sake). There was another, but not even his family knew about him. It was one secret he'd take to the grave. And at that moment, he wanted to prove to her she was wrong.

Not today.

"Her name is Detective Levy McGarden of the Fourteenth." Gajeel exasperated in defeat. "She was sent to relay information between precincts." They continued to stare in silence, waiting for more information. "A rookie. Promoted this week." Another pause and an uncomfortable silence. "That's it." They weren't all related by blood, but the uncanny way they rolled their eyes almost looked like they were brothers.

"Is she cute?" Natsu was the first to ask, earning flickering look from Lucy. "I mean—"

"No," Lucy laughed. "You're right." She turned back to Gajeel with a curious smile. "Is she cute?"

"I don't know." Gajeel clenched his jaw. "Why does that matter?"

"It always matters." Sting shook his head.

"You work with bombshell women and yet you don't have a girlfriend." Rogue added. "Something wrong with you."

"That's my line." Gajeel tsked. "I don't see you with one either."

"But I don't work with bombshell babes." Rogue retorted.

"Okay, we're getting off track here." Gajeel snatched his phone from Rogue and pulled out his wallet. "I have to get to work."

"But the case?" Lucy whined.

"You offered help, I accepted, and then you idiots started talking about something else." Gajeel whined back, grumbling as he pulled out two crisp twenty Jewels from his leather wallet, tossing it on the table. "Thanks for the help, Sting. I owe you a bottle of whiskey."

"Make it two cases of Magnolia Stout and we're even." Sting held out his hand, revealing the tungsten ring on his pale ring finger.

"Done," Gajeel took his hand and shook it. "See you at home." He turned to Rogue and simply nodded to Lucy and Natsu.

"I'll see you soon." Lucy sipped her tepid coffee.

"No you won't." Gajeel warned her, knowing exactly what she was thinking. "I'll make sure of that."

* * *

Levy could get use to this.

The nutty aroma of freshly grounded dark roasted espresso beans brewing into the plain blue mug. The delicious sound of frothing milk as the steam heats it up into a desirable scolding temperature. It was like working in the bookstore cafe during high school all over again, but this time it was coffee for her and no one else. She wished her station would have an industrial espresso machine like this one. Everything from a coffee grinder to a milk steamer and even a dual coffee maker including a hot plate to keep the brew hot. A sign above the coffee maker scribbled in permanent black maker and taped crookedly with scotch tape said to always have coffee at the ready.

Levy poured the hot milk into her mug, watching the cream swirl into the caramel liquid. Her chest expanded, filling her lungs with such a pleasurable aroma, and letting out a satisfying sigh between her drooling lips. As she tops her latte with foam, Levy wondered who the mastermind behind this machine was. The police departments all over Magnolia and even Fiore are having a hard time with budget cuts, it was incredible for one precinct to have something as expensive as a restaurant style drip maker let alone an expensive one like this one.

Deputy Chief Laxus Dreyer was the grandson of the Police Commissioner. No doubt it was his doing.

"Pumpkin Spice Latte with an extra shot." Cana broke her trance, leaning against the break room wall with her arms crossed. Her lavender blouse clung to her curvaceous body with her long sleeves folded to her elbows and her neckline exposed revealing a white camisole underneath.

"Good morning," Levy smiled, picking up her mug. "You want one?" She held up her steaming cup and Cana shook her head.

"I see you're making yourself at home?" Cana stepped over to the already brewed coffee and grabbed a clean mug from the shelf.

"Where there's coffee…" Levy's words drifted as she sipped her comforting cup, waking her up from her early morning haze. "How did yesterday go?" Levy asked only to receive a silent questioning look. "About the guard that called in the night of the murder?"

"Oh," Cana cleared her throat. Her manicured hands grabbed the glass container of sugar and poured a hefty amount of it into the black liquid. "It turns out he was on reserve for the week in Hargeon. A Naval man breaking in the recruits with a coastal patrol. We didn't get any contact, because he was far from cellular range. Gajeel had to contact the naval base to get contact. Either way, he had an alibi that night."

Levy's heart dropped to the floor of her stomach. She hoped to use that to distract the detectives, but it was no use. The wait had to continue and when the opportunity struck, she'd take it. Anything to drive them farther away from Jet and Droy.

"You're here early?" Cana said to her, leading out of the break room and towards their desks.

"I should ask you the same thing." Levy smiled. "You're normally late if I remember correctly." Their heels clicked against the laminate tile. Her temporary chair was nestled at the very opened desk of the Sergeant. He didn't have much on his desk, only a new computer, Police issued ceramic mug filled with pens and his name plate engraved in gold letters. Sgt. G. Redfox.

"Laxus had an early meeting," Cana yawned, sitting on the edge of Gajeel's desk. Levy took a seat at the end of the metal desk, knees hitting against the body. She missed her own desk with her own chair. She hated being confined to a small portion of the metal table like she was a suspect for questioning. "Captain will be surprised to see me here before her."

"I bet she will." Levy said, fighting her urge to yawn. "I need to make some phone calls." She sighed and stared up at Cana, grinning back at her. "What?"

"How's the sergeant?" Cana nodded her head towards his empty chair beside her. "Giving you a hard time?" Levy set her mug down and opened up the files. "I take that as a yes."

"No," Levy shook her head and rummaged through the paperwork. "He's fine. We're fine. Just doing our job." She shrugged her shoulder and smiled at her. It was the truth. The man who hazed her many years ago was no longer that man. Cana stared at her for awhile as her thoughts raced through her eyes. The long chocolate brown curls were tied back into a high pony tail, revealing her model like high cheekbones and big brown eyes.

"Okay," Cana nodded and stood up from the desk. "That's good to hear. But, if he does anything—"

"I know," Levy smiled. "You always have my back."

"Always," Cana smiled and patted Levy on the shoulder.

"Cana," Levy stopped her from reaching her desk. "How did you find out about the hazing?"

"I'm a detective, Lev." Cana laughed and walked to her desk. The phone was ringing and her pace quicken. Levy watched her sit down and answered her desk phone which Cana returned with a smile. As her smile widen, her eyes caught Gajeel and Bixlow exiting the elevator.

"Morning, Detective Levy!" Bixlow winked at her as he walked towards the desk next to her. His steel toed boots accidentally hit the desk and a colorful wooden totem fell on his black keyboard and shattered into five square knobs. "My babies!" He cried out and reassembled the totem back together, paying close attention to the alignment very carefully.

"Hey," Gajeel sat in his chair, groaning and leaning back with an exhausted look on his face. "Did you get any info?" Straight to work. His eyes dropped to her files on her side of the desk.

"Rough night?" Levy had to ask before she continued to look through the papers.

"Rough morning." Gajeel answered with a strong yawn. "I got something for you." He pulled the lapels of his leather jacket and reached into the inside pocket where he handed her a leather bound notepad. "Turn to the last written page while I get some java." His chair squeaked under his weight and momentum as he stood up and walked to the break room. Levy's eyes followed him until he disappeared into the door. She grabbed the notepad and flipped to the last page, but she couldn't help skim through the previous pages and study his notes. For someone who spoke so little, Gajeel wrote detail notes and had a knack for sketching. The ink blots bled through the other side of the pages, and Levy could picture Gajeel pause in thought before continue his scribble. Levy fanned the pages, however, went too far and landed on the back binding where a message laid in elegant cursive. Clearly not Gajeel's writing, but still messy in its own fancy way.

_To my real life Gael Steel and for our tales of misadventures on paper and this life. -L.H. _

"Gael Steel?" Levy raised an eyebrow and then looked at the break room where she could see Gajeel by the coffee machine through the window. She knew the name quite well; Gael Steel from _Iron Shield_. Real life Gael Steel? Whoever L.H. had to be someone important to Gajeel. When Levy thought about it further, there were similar qualities between Gajeel and Gael. One for the long ravenous hair, piercings and molten red eyes. A cop, no less, and stoic demeanor that hid a troubled and complex man.

"All I'm saying that there must be a connection." Elfman's voice boomed from the break room and Levy returned her attention to the recent page, skimming it before Gajeel returned to the desk. "It can't be a coincidence."

"I'll look into it." Gajeel said to him. "If Jose was involved, there's a possibility he's rebuilding Phantom Lord." He moved around the desk and sat down.

"Good Morning, Detective McGarden." Elfman smiled.

"Please, call me Levy." She said to him. "You sister said hello and to call her."

"Which one?" His large hand scratched the back of his neck.

"Mira Jane." Levy answered. "I was on the phone with her on my way here." She watched his gaze drop and jaw tighten. Whatever it was, it wasn't good and you could read it all over Elfman.

"Right," Elfman forced a grin. "Thanks. I better not keep her waiting. Isn't manly to keep a lady waiting." He shuffled back to his desk, right across from the Captain's office.

"You can do that later." Lieutenant Juvia marched into homicide like she was in a hurry. Unlike yesterday, Juvia sported a pinstripe gray blazer, hugging close against her hour glass waist. A light blue camisole underneath it brought out her blue hair and dark denim jeans with her fastened gun and glittering gold badge at her leather belt. She appeared to be shorter than before as she wore jet black combat boots beneath the boot cut jeans. Juvia was fashionably ready for battle. "Meeting with Cap right now!" She announced to all the homicide detectives. Without hesitation, everyone stopped what they were doing and marched into the conference room while Juvia knocked on the Captain's office before joining them.

"Did you read it?" Gajeel asked Levy, who was still holding the notepad in her hand.

"No," Levy looked down and turned to the right page. "I'll do it while we wait for the captain." Not even the first line, and Levy's gaze widen at the hastily scribble before her. A lump at her throat nervously formed and she wouldn't dare to clear it if she tried.

_Circuits and Modules burned out and no maintenance over time. A staged robbery planned months in advanced. Budget cuts led to sloppy maintenance. _

A space between more notes.

_Called the security company. Said logged maintenance was recorded and verified. Forged by maintenance worker? Adelina handled maintenance? _

"You think you can get a hold of the logs?" Gajeel whispered.

"How did you know the circuits were duds?" Levy swallowed hard, trying to calm her racing heart. She thought no one could see it. The forged logs were enough to make it possible that Adelina cleared it. All she had to do was pin this on poor maintenance and insurance not adhering to their inspections. If Adelina wrote the name of the monthly maintenance worker who was supposed to replace the modules, then Levy won't have anything to protect Jet and Droy. Their aliases would definitely lead them to the two people dear to her.

"I have a source." Gajeel's lips thinned. "Not supposed to be showin' crime photos, but I managed some secrecy."

"He has a good eye." Levy chuckled nervously. "Your guy is good." Who had the experience to know what a complex system fault from a damn picture? This wasn't good at all. She thought she was the only one apart from Cana who knew about robbery forensics, but it would seem these detectives have their own experts they relied on. "I'll see what I can do. I'll call Bisca after the meeting."

Captain Erza entered the conference room with a red folder in her hands.

"Good morning," She greeted them. "Let's get started shall we? Juvia?"

* * *

The meeting proved to be uneventful as they tossed around evidence that didn't lead them anywhere. Adelina had a brief association with the powerhouse gang Phantom Lord and before her military life she dealt with Sabertooth in her youth. Even though Phantom Lord disbanded, there was a possibility she met with an old acquaintance and gave her a small job. This brought the attention of Gajeel and Juvia, who Levy found out that they use to run with Phantom Lord and became infamous detectives for bringing them down.

A story for another time which Levy was eager to ask Gajeel when they were stuck in traffic again. Wouldn't be anytime soon as they sat around their desks, waiting for their respected phone calls. All the questioning and seeking suspects were all finished the day before and now it was the waiting game. Robbery was different, where waiting wasn't an issue for most cases, however, homicide had time limits. Evidence could disappear if they wait too long. Suspects could be on the run. Victims could be targeted.

At least it gave Levy time to think about the maintenance logs. Gajeel asked her to retrieve them and her priority was to make sure Droy didn't sign off the junction as they were updated. If it was—well, she'd figure something out when the time comes.

"Redfox." Gajeel answered his desk phone after one ring. He remained leaning back against his chair and eyes closed, resting apparently from his troublesome morning. Levy wondered what made his morning so hectic. "What?" He shot up from his chair and startled Levy, jumping in her seat. Gajeel looked at her, but didn't say anything. His sharp teeth grabbed his bottom lip, biting down hard enough to bleed. "I told you to put her on the restriction list. She doesn't work here anymore."

"She?" Levy muttered, gaining another glance from Gajeel.

"Who waived the restriction?" Gajeel asked, voiced carried through the other desks. Levy saw Cana and Bixlow look up from their computers, but continued to work. "You got to be kiddin' me!" Gajeel hissed and slammed the phone down back on the receiver. He eyed the phone and Levy wanted to ask him what was wrong, though the beep of the elevator doors alerted Gajeel and stared angrily at the person marching out of the metal doors as if she was the devil himself.

"Um," Levy couldn't get a good look at her as a few officers walking by stopped her and blocked her view of the stranger. "Who is—?"

"My nightmare." Gajeel leaned back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head. "I'm going to kill her." He exasperated in surrender. He had no way out and certainly has nowhere to run. Levy looked over to the growing crowd. It would appear they had hardcover books in their hands. Some even have a couple of them in hand as they handed them to her. She could see the shimmering smooth blond hair peeking over the crowd and sun-kissed ivory skin from her jeweled arms. Several gold bangles draped over her thin wrists. She could hear them from where she sat as the woman scribbled something into the books with a black permanent marker.

Then, as one uniformed officer walked away saying his thanks, Levy saw her.

Lucy returned her gaze.

That was when she recognized her.

From the back of the book jacket, to her social media icon, and her book signing posters at book shops and cafes, there was no mistaking that face for someone else. The many book signings in Magnolia she couldn't attend because of her job and Lucy Heartfillia was walking right towards her desk with her strappy brown heels, tight dark skinny jeans and a flowy blue and white tank top with gold hoop earrings.

"I told you not to come here!" Gajeel growled, standing up from his desk and grabbing her arm. "You're under arrest for trespassing."

"Glad to see you too!" Lucy hissed, pulling her arm away. "You're not dragging me down the stairs like you did last time!"

"Nah," Gajeel shook his head. "I'm gonna kick your fat ass to the curb. And Salamander can't stop me."

"Cana!" Bixlow roared in laughter. "Looks like Mom and Dad are fighting again." Gajeel gave him a warning glare and he immediately stopped his teasing. "Okay, Sarge. Sorry, sir. Good to see you again, Books."

"Likewise, Bixlow." Lucy stepped back, giving them some room. "Seems like the promotion didn't soften you up one bit." She set her hands on her hips and shifted her weight to her other foot. "I'm not here for you."

"Yer here to avoid yer publisher." Gajeel said to her.

"No," Lucy shook her head. "Actually I am not." She smiled. "I'm here on business and not your museum case." Lucy finally turned to Levy. Her heart flipped when she smiled at her. Her head weighed heavy on her shoulders, knowing that one of the books she wrote was in her bag at that very moment. And a small part of her cursed for not bringing her entire Lucy Heartfillia collection from her apartment. If she only knew. "You must be Detective Levy McGarden."

Gajeel talked about her? Levy glanced at Gajeel, who was on his phone, reading something important. Her heart flipped again and landed hard in the pit of her stomach. She said her name. She knew her name. If it was Gajeel who told Lucy, she was definitely going to hug him regardless of being her superior.

"Oh no," Lucy answered, almost like she could read her mind. "The Captain told me who you are." She held out her hand, golden bangles clinging against one another and glowing under the fluorescents. "Nice to meet you. I'm Lucy Heartfillia."

"Oh I know who you are," Levy snorted nervously. "I-I am a huge fan." She grabbed her hand and shook it weakly, afraid she'd complain about her sweaty hands. A part of her wanted to reach into her bag and retrieve her book for her to sign. The way Gajeel was treating Lucy, who knew when Levy was going to have an opportunity like this. Lucy may visit the fourteenth from time to time, but Levy wasn't going to be there forever.

"Levy here is a huge bookworm!" Cana startled her by slapping a hand on Levy's back. She felt her face heat up in embarrassment as Cana winked at her. "Her entire living room and guest room is covered wall to wall with books. It's like the second floor of the bookstore."

"Oh really?" Lucy smiled. "You read my books?"

"She said she was a fan, idiot." Gajeel snorted, crossing his arms.

"Yes, I heard." Lucy slapped the back of her hand against his bicep. "Though, I doubt she read the Steel series." She winked at her, long lashes flickering on her cheeks. "Then she'd know who you are."

"What?" Levy stared at Gajeel and Lucy for awhile, trying to put the pieces together. "I read the Gael Steel books. My favorite one from the series is _Iron Bones_. Layla is one of my favorite characters and the follow up series with Nate Draco is currently my obsession." Levy swallowed her nerves and tried to speak to her properly. They continued to stare at her and wasn't entirely sure what they were waiting for.

"Levy can't seem to grasp Looks and Books?" Bixlow said with his mouth full of glazed donuts.

"It ain't important, Bunny Girl." Gajeel rubbed the back of his neck, lacing his fingers into his long hair. "I gotta make some phone calls." He walked away, trying to get everyone's attention away from him.

"Don't let him get to your head." Lucy grabbed her forearm. "He's being…Gajeel."

"Right," Levy smiled. "I haven't been here long enough to know."

"Well," Lucy laughed. "If you read the Steel books, then you should know him a little bit better." She winked. "Just a little though. I may have taken a liberty or two."

"Lucy." Levy and Lucy turned to Erza standing outside her office. "Excuse me for interrupting, but may I have a word with you?" She pointed to her office and smiled.

"Erza!" Lucy smiled back and released her hold on Levy's forearm. "I am not done with you. Any partner of Gajeel's, temporary or not, is a friend of mine."

"Lucy," Erza sighed. "Levy has a case to solve. If you don't mind."

"Sure thing," Lucy nodded and turned back to Levy. "Until next time."

"Nice to meet you." Levy smiled and watched as she walked towards the Captain and gave her a big hug before heading into the office. She had to remind herself to breath, realizing she just met one of her favorite modern day writers. Lucy was far more beautiful in person than her pictures. "I forgot to ask her to sign my book."

"She'll be back." Cana slapped her back again, pulling her from her star daze. "She tries to visit us when she's not on tour or whatever else she does." She laughed. "Normally, Sarge would try to drag her out of the station. This time she was asked to come here."

"And when were you going to tell me you know Lucy Heartfillia?" Levy crossed her arms. "You know how much I wanted to go to her book signings!"

"I completely forgot?" Cana shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry, Little Blue. I wish I told you."

"It's okay," Levy couldn't stay mad at her. "At least I got a chance to meet her."

"Good!" Cana snickered. "Look at you! Working with the real life Gael Steel! Dream come true, right?"

"What?" Levy stared blankly. The message in the notepad came back to her and slapped her in the face. L.H. was her initials and her real life Gael Steel could only mean.

"The light bulb just turned on." Cana rubbed her head, loosening the light pink ribbon in her blue locks. "If only you could see your adorable face." Her phone begun to ring and Cana answered it. "Alberona." She gave Levy one last smile before returning to her desk.

"Gajeel is Gael Steel?" Levy gulped, turning to her temporary desk she shared with the sergeant and stared at the little plastic sign with his name and title on it. Levy read many books in her life and she could recall most of them by memory. She shuffled through her own mind library and filter out the particular books by Lucy, making the connections with her own observation and to the fictional character.

Lady Justice.

It was her favorite part of Gael's character. The way Gael worships the deity like a guiding light through his dark dealings to get the job done. A guardian angel. A beacon. Later in the first and second books, Justice was Gael all along. A servant of what she represent, though in the third and fourth books that all changed when his loyalties were put to the test. _Iron Bones_ was one of the most popular of the series and Levy's favorite.

"Where did she go?" Gajeel came back to his desk and looked around for Lucy.

"Erza called her in." Levy said to him. "So…"

"Knew it." Gajeel exhaled roughly, sat down and grabbed his mug. "What do you want to know?"

"Gael Steel?" Levy chuckled. "Are you really him?" He leaned against his desk, pushing his keyboard away and settled his elbow along the edge.

"Yeah," Gajeel closed his eyes and wrinkled his nose. "I was hopin' you didn't know about it."

"If I wasn't too busy I'd made the connection eventually." Levy glanced over her shoulder to look at Cana. "Only if Cana told me sooner, then we would have moved on and continued with our jobs." A lie to herself. If she figured it out, an outpour of questions would fall out of her mouth. Most of them about Lucy. Also, the inevitable question of their relationship itched at her. Bunny girl was his partner and now Lucy was engaged to his cousin. If she remembered yesterday's conversation, Lucy the old partner was Lucy Heartfillia the author.

"Whatever." Gajeel set his pierced chin in his palms.

"Do you know why the Captain asked for her?" Levy asked and Gajeel's eyes open into tiny slits, revealing his strangely bright red eyes. "She did say something about business."

"Tch," Gajeel snorted. "Like I care. Besides, she's not here for me. I don't give a rat's ass." Something loomed in his eyes, a small glint in them that proved he did care. "Anything else?"

"No," She shook her head. Another lie. "That's all."

"Good." Gajeel leaned back again and closed his eyes. "Wake me when something's up."

"Yes, sir." Levy nodded and wallowed back to work.

* * *

The Captain's office had changed over the two years of her absence. Lucy would stop by from time to time, though never long enough to visit the Captain's office. Mostly due to Gajeel's temper and iron grip, she gets dragged out of the station before she could even drop by to say hello. The familiar sight of the wooden desk greeted her, though new chairs were put in replacing the uncomfortable plastic seated metal chairs you'd find in a high school cafeteria. Erza's black chair was made of beautifully hand-stitched soft leather. Almost brand new as she could still smell the leather from the door. A couch replaced a short bookcase on the other side of the office and a wall length metal filing cabinet was behind her desk with a few potted plants. More than the previous captain, though he had one or two picture frames where Erza did not.

"Thank you for coming in," Erza pointed at one of the two cushioned seats in front of her desk. Lucy watched her walk around the desk and took a seat, hearing the crinkle in the tight leather.

"Luckily, I was in town." Lucy sunk in her seat, placing her purse in the other chair. "New chairs?" She grabbed the arms of the chair and squeezed. "I like what you did to the office."

"I do what I can," Erza smiled, setting some papers and folders to the side. A plastic bag with an empty bakery box was tossed lazily by the small waste bin.

"Did you buy them yourself?" Lucy asked, knowing a department experiencing budget cuts wouldn't be able to afford furniture like this. Not even the former captain relating to the commissioner wouldn't be able to afford it.

"A gift." Erza leaned back. Her long smooth red hair fanned out slightly against the leather.

"Jellal, I presume?" Lucy smiled, watching as Erza's smile disappeared. "Is that why you called me? Checking up on your dark knight in shining armor?"

"I just want to catch up with my friend." Erza's smile returned and set her elbows on the desk. "How are the novels coming along?"

"Good," Lucy nodded, pressing her glossy lips together. "I finished one of the books. _Chariot_ is ready for publishing—" She paused, long lashes flickering against her blushed cheeks. "—I'm still in a slump with the next Steel book." She finally admitted, never in front of Blacksteel, but to Erza she could. "I need something fresh for it."

"Well," Erza coughed. "If you need inspiration, join the case. I'm sure you heard about it." Lucy smile widen slightly. That was easier than she thought. If she wanted to work on a case, Lucy should've gone to the Captain first.

"Not from Gajeel if that's what you mean." She lied, but played her cards. "I could never get a word out of him."

"Nothing new there." Erza replied. "We need all the help we could get. The courthouse shooting, the reopening of the secretary case and now this museum homicide and robbery. We're stretched too thin even with help from the seventh."

The new detective, Levy McGarden. So young for a detective. Small in frame and adorably cute for someone to be in this particular world. More of a pencil pusher, desk clerk or even a teacher, but not a field officer. Then again, Lucy realized she didn't belong on the field either, and recklessly throws herself in the crosshairs with the rest of law enforcement. Lucy couldn't picture her in Kevlar and the whole beat cop uniform. Levy would look adorable than respectably intimidating. Unless you pair her up with someone like Gajeel. Now, Lucy was curious on who was Levy's partner—or better yet—why a cop?

What was her story?

"Speaking of the seventh," Lucy straightened in her seat. "You got a new face under your wing." She stood up and walked towards the window, peeking between the horizontal metal blinds and watched the blue haired beauty focused on the stack of paperwork in front of her while Gajeel rested his eyes. The morning events rushed back to Lucy, still smelling the grease trap diner and weak coffee over her perfume. This morning was something she really missed, but also seeing where all her inspiration came from again was surely nostalgic. Her fingers itched for her pen and journal, wanting to take in this feeling again.

"Newly promoted." Erza nodded. "Works under Mira Jane Strauss."

"Gajeel's old SO." Lucy replied. "What was her nickname again? The Demon Mira Jane?"

"Something like that."

"Not as awesome as Titania." She snickered. "And speaking of which, Natsu showed me that video." Erza wrinkled her nose. "Not even a week and already four million views." The vicious cat fight between the seventh and fourteen's captains while Gajeel and Elfman try to separate them. She couldn't imagine what Deputy Chief Laxus Dreyer had to say to her.

"I don't want to hear it." Erza's jaw tighten. "I've got more pressing matters."

"I am sure." Lucy let the blinds go and walked back to her chair, though she didn't sit back down. "And I know you are busy, so let me cut to the chase then." She crossed her arms, bracelets clinging together like toasting wine glasses. "You want to know where Jellal is, right?" Erza's gaze widen, giving away her secret so easily. Terrible poker player.

"You and Gajeel," Erza laughed softly, shaking her head. "Is it that obvious?"

"Jellal is important to you." Lucy replied, sitting along the edge of her desk. "And to Wendy. And Meredy." Erza smiled and leaned back on the chair again. "But, I assure you he misses you the most."

"Yeah right," Erza chuckled.

"It's true." Lucy nodded. "I don't have to say it twice." She paused and cleared her throat. "However, he's pretty swamped in the Capital. Crocus is keeping him busy."

"I am aware of that." Erza's smile fell. "I'd just hate not knowing."

"I know," Lucy stood up and reached for her purse, pulling out a slender velvet box. "I saw him—well, Ultear and Meredy—gave this to me to give to you after I told them I was returning to Magnolia." She held the box out to Erza and grabbed it while studying it. "I didn't open it. It's not my place." Erza looked up and stared at her.

"You know Natsu and you are family and a dear friend." Erza said, setting the box down. "I wouldn't mind if you did. And I appreciate you delivering some news." Her eyes fell to the burgundy box in front of her. Her slender fingers wrapped around the top of the box and opened it carefully to reveal a dazzling white gold chain bracelet diamond encrusted ruby pendants in between each link. A note was tapped along the top of silk lined box. His handwriting.

_No ruby or garnet in the world could come close to your extraordinary beautiful Scarlet hair. I__'ll see you soon. -JF _

Erza couldn't hide her smile nor her deep red blush painted along her cheeks. And Lucy couldn't help but return the smile. They had come a long way from the day they met. All were strangers brought in by that one special case. The case that put the loyalties on the line. Relationships, duty and matters of the heart were tested. Many firsts came out of this precinct and definitely brought Lucy into the spotlight. If it wasn't for Erza and the rest of the fourteenth, Lucy wouldn't be who she really was.

"Drinks later?" Lucy asked, grabbing the box and taking the bracelet out. "I bet Natsu and Gray would love to catch up."

"Sounds fun," Erza nodded, rolling up her sleeve and holding her bare wrist out. "Only one. I'm still on call just in case." She gulped and watched Lucy fasten the sparkling chain on her porcelain skin.

"Oh don't worry." Lucy giggled. "I don't think they'd want you to have more than one drink anyway." She tried to hide her laughter, remembering the ridiculous night celebrating her promotion to Captain—and Jellal not showing up.

"Lucy," Erza warned her. "That was one time."

"Oh no," Lucy shook her head. "Third time. Remember _Iron Shield_'s release party?" Jellal showed up for five minutes before a phone call dragged him away for weeks. "Do I also have to mention about—"

"Okay," Erza sighed, crossing her arms, wrists adjusting to the foreign object around it. "Fine, whatever you say. I'll meet you at the usual around eight."

"Sounds good." Lucy snapped her fingers and clapped her hands. "I'll see you tonight." She grabbed her purse and walked towards the door. Her hand grabbed the handle, but Lucy didn't turn it. She turned her head instead and looked back at Erza. "If Gajeel tries to kick me out again—?"

"I'll tell them you are consulting for this case." Erza smiled, spinning left and right in her luxury swivel chair. "For your new book."

"I'll print out the NDA forms to make it look official." She winked and turned the knob.

"Lucy," Erza warned her again in her captain voice. "One more thing. If I get another phone call from your publisher, I am going to lock you up with a typewriter, no coffee or sweets until you finish a damn book." Her scarlet brows tighten on her forehead. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Lucy cringed at the thought of writing a whole novel with a caffeine headache. Also the fact that Erza would definitely do it if she gets the call. Hearing Gajeel bicker about her publisher calling him was one thing, but Captain Erza Scarlet was far scarier than the Sergeant could ever be.

Lucy stepped out of the office and eyes from the detectives went to her almost as fast as the door closing behind her. She was here again, solving cases again with the crew again. This time with two new faces; Levy and Cana.

Cana she knew very well considering she was the rookie and Gajeel's new partner after Juvia was made Lieutenant, but never really worked together on a case. Lucy was looking forward to it, though she was more curious about a certain blue haired beauty temporarily assigned to this case. Question marks danced around Levy's face as Lucy studied her from a far. Those question marks would turn into answers soon enough. She could get into Gajeel's head, there was no doubt she could get into hers.

"Hey, Lucy!" Juvia popped her head out of the conference room. "How are you?" Her dark gray eyes gleamed under the lights.

"I'm doing great," Lucy smiled. "Erza gave me permission to consult."

"Good!" Juvia stepped out and grabbed her jeweled wrist. "Juvia needs you." She pulled her in and Lucy stumbled into the conference room. "No suspects! NONE!" Her frustrations tighten her jaw and brows knitted tightly close together. "Every time we have one, they have an alibi." Lucy stepped closer to the murder board, reading the red and black text under clipped pictures of the body and crime scene. "And the shooting at the courthouse. Elfman can handle it."

"But, you need to help him." Lucy added. "I understand. No new perps in seventy-two hours the case is likely dropped. Let me have access to the case and I'll see what I can find."

"Thank you!" Juvia hugged her. "Please! Everything Juvia has is on the board and the table." Lucy turned around to the long laminated wood conference table. Printed files upon files are spread out over each other. "Everyone else did their jobs. They're waiting for the follow ups."

"But, how could you follow up if there's no one to follow up on?" Lucy asked. "Are there any previous cases similar to this one?"

"Cana is trying to figure that out with records." Juvia replied, gulping down tepid coffee. "And Levy is doing the same for robbery."

"It seems like she's getting along with Gajeel," Lucy mentioned, watching Juvia give her a quick side glance. "You know anything about her?" Her long gaze returned to the board.

"If you want Juvia send you her file." Juvia sighed. "You only need to ask." On paper, Lucy didn't have access to records, but if she asked the right person she could get a hold on anything. The red folder in her large purse weighed heavy next to her. She almost forgot her other reason for coming here.

"Files on cases, yes." Lucy grabbed her purse. "Files to get to know a new recruit? Not my style." She grabbed Juvia's arm and squeezed. "I'll find out my way. I forgot that I need to give Gajeel something first and I'll be right back."

"Drag Gajeel in here too while he waits for his calls." Juvia crossed her arms. "He can help you with these things." She tilted her chin towards the table.

"Sure," Lucy smiled. "If he doesn't want to, I'll wave this in his face." She pulled out the thick file and head towards the door.

Lucy didn't have to say anything. All she did was showed him the folder and he immediately stood up from his desk and dragged Levy with him into the conference room.

* * *

Levy felt her phone buzz in her pocket before she walked into the threshold.

"Excuse me," Levy said to them and walked down the hall towards a quiet corner near the tech room. She made sure no one was in the room or around her before she answered the phone. "Gildarts, sir, we may have a problem." She paused and drew the phone closer to her mouth. "Lucy Heartfillia joined the team. And Jet and Droy's identity may be compromised."

"Roger that, Levy." Gildart's voice muttered quietly. "Any info relay it to me immediately. We'll think of something."

"Roger that." Levy said before she hung up the phone. She couldn't do it alone, and she needed help from the other side. All she could do for now was to spy on them.


End file.
